


Hello!Project Online

by MizuponZz



Series: Hello!Project Online [1]
Category: Angerme, C-ute, Country Girls (Japan Band), Hello! Project, Juice Juice (Band), Morning Musume., こぶしファクトリー | Kobushi Factory, つばきファクトリー | Tsubaki Factory
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Virtual Reality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2020-01-14 14:37:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 64,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18478279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizuponZz/pseuds/MizuponZz
Summary: "Hello!Project Online" is a multi-part story that retells the adventures of Yokoyama Reina and her friends in the virtual world of the same name. The protagonists discover and experience in different ways, which laws, joys and dangers this dream reality holds ready for them. Finally, they become aware of the great responsibility they have to bear and that each one of them has abilities that leave the limits of reality far behind them. But what is the ultimate price they have to pay? How strong is the willingness to give everything and to completely eliminate all rationality? A battle for survival begins...





	1. Foreword

Hey ho together!

I'm glad you got lost in my fanfiction. I hope you discover one or the other story for your mental well-being. Before I present the first chapter, I'd like to say a few words to you.

First of all I want to make it clear that I didn't create any of the characters (apart from a few exceptions) myself. They're all from Hello!Project. Only the behaviour patterns, actions and motivation of the individual figures are conceived by me and only follow the real images rudimentarily. Therefore I hope that you don't resent me if your " favourite " doesn't behave in the way you are used to or expected from her.

Mainly all my creations revolve around the virtual reality "Hello!Project Online". The multi-part story of the same name is the main series of my works and tells about the adventures Yokoyama Reina (main protagonist of my series) and her companions experience in the virtual world. Here, the different genres give each other a hand. From action-packed scene descriptions to humorously stupid conversations to dramatic twists, everything is included.

Friendship, loyalty, responsibility and selflessness are the virtues I want to convey with my stories. I take all the time in the world to develop and progress the characters and environment in the entire cosiness given to me. So if you are looking for a story that is told quickly, you won't necessarily get your money's worth here. But you can rely on me when it comes to the loving and respectful handling of the characters, because for each of them I have worked out an independent characteristic that gradually comes to bear.

But since I only have one thread and don't work out detailed storylines, I am basically my own reader, who is there with excitement and emotions and doesn't know the final products of the events as well as the developments of the individual characters. This approach contains clear advantages and disadvantages. However, I would like to base my approach on the positive aspects. On the one hand, I always remain motivated when writing, because after all, I want it to go on just like you do. On the other hand I can experience the life of the admirable idols of my world day by day and spend "real" time with them.

I was especially inspired by animes like Sword Art Online or Log Horizon. But you should mention that these already existing worlds are much better than some people say they are. As long as you only focus on the implementation of the environment and not directly on the shallow characteristics of the characters, you can get really good ideas for your own story.

The important messages contained in my works are fundamentally oriented towards the current problems and questions of our own world. How far should we go in the research and development of independently thinking AIs? What vital decisions should we leave to computers? In which directions is the use of virtual reality developing? How do people behave in stress-generated or even life-threatening situations? What happens when we are robbed of our thoughts? Which psychological damages (or cures?) are caused by virtually generated brains?  
I could continue to ask these questions. Ultimately, it is best if you make yourselves a picture of my written subjects. Get involved in the world of "Hello!Project Online" and simply enjoy the weekly chapters released on Monday (European Central Time) in which Reina, Kamiko and the many other characters try to find themselves and explore the virtual world in its entirety.  
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing you!

To prepare you for what is to come at the beginning, you should know that this story is set in an alternative universe. The core focus is on the fantasy, drama and adventure elements mixed with a good portion of friendship. I don't focus heavily on pairings and romance, nor will this be a peaceful story. However, if there are any opportunities (as you might notice in the second chapter), I will of course allow the characters to have a togetherness.

Naturally I try to represent events, chronologies and characters as truthfully as possible. Nevertheless, be prepared for everything and don't judge me too harshly. But of course any criticism is welcome. In addition it has to be said that this story is a translation of my already in German written version, which you can read on Fanfiktion.de under the same name.

I'm not even sure if anyone is reading this at all, but I just publish chapters every week. On the one hand for my own joy, on the other hand someone might accidentally discover the story and like it. Then I did everything right in the end.

Furthermore it should be mentioned that "Hello!Project Online" basically describes the life and adolescence of Yokoyama Reina. But it is my goal to integrate all the idols that are available to me into the story and to give everyone their own unique appearance. Sooner or later, the narrative perspective changes from time to time, so that the focus is not only on Yoko.

All in all, it will be an adventure in which we will get closer to the members of Hello!Project. It's always sad to see them all gradually graduate. That's why I want to give you and myself the opportunity to share experiences with the heroines from Japan before they possibly disappear completely from our lives. I wish you a lot of fun now!

Let's go to the REHAB Academy! Let's go to the Haven!

ON TO ...

HELLO!PROJECT ONLINE !!


	2. The Awakening

_ 1st Arc: "My name is Yokoyama Reina" _

* * *

  
  
Glistening light enveloped a scrawny figure. Small, slim and thin. Her silhouette wavered through the void. Where was she? Who was she?

Restless, without goal in mind, the figure wandered around. Did she move forward? No! Backwards? Or did she move to the side? She did not know. She did not understand it and felt disoriented.

She was filled with inner emptiness. She was a lost being. Lost in the Nothingness of an endless time...

"Reina..."

…

"Yokoyama Reina..."

In the distance, a soft voice echoed. The shadowy figure longed for this being in a non-existent world. She had never heard such a pleasant sound before and yet it seemed so familiar.

"Yokoyama Reina!"

The voice became louder. The figure didn't know if she actually drew closer, but slowly a warm-hearted feeling spread on her skin. A smile crept onto her face.

A smile...

…

Suddenly hands appeared in front of her. The person slowly looked at them and realized that they were her own. She gently touched her face. It felt flawless. Soft lips, snub nose, long dark brown hair gently touching her shoulders. She, the silhouette shape, was a girl.

"Come to yourself, Reina!"

Reina? Was that her name? Yokoyama Reina? Quietly she spoke the words to herself. Within a few seconds the name had literally burned into her mind. And for some reason she smiled again at the newly acquired knowledge. She had to grin wider and wider until it finally turned into a resounding, hearty laughter.

After a few minutes Reina calmed down. Feelings of happiness swept through her body. Laughter. What a pleasant diversion. It seemed so familiar to her. And although she should have panicked, she was satisfied. She could remember absolutely nothing. Neither a past life nor family, friends or responsibilities. Nevertheless, she felt an inner balance, the feeling of a balance, which dispelled all sorrow and worry in an instant.

Again she looked at her hands. Reina had a light skin tone, but a slight tan could not be denied. What was her descent?

Now looking around a little more attentively, she slowly examined her surroundings. The glistening light had almost completely disappeared in the meantime. Instead she discovered clear shapes. Reina was in a small room. White walls, whose plaster was already peeling slightly off, surrounded her. A small metal desk with a wooden chair and a feather bed were the only visible furnishings in the room. On the ceiling there was the bright neon light that had surrounded her just a few minutes ago.

The girl didn't know how she got here. She also didn't know what was waiting for her behind the door, which silhouette was now noticeable in a gray tone on one corner of the room. Instinctively she turned in that very direction of the door. Her left hand grabbed the knob. She felt the cool metal on her fingers.

Then there was a slight jolt. The room was filled with a resounding squeak. The door moved. A gentle breeze stroked Reina's face. What was waiting for her beyond this room?

An excited feeling twitched through her body. A tickling feeling of curiosity flashed through her chest. With her eyes wide open, she slammed the door. And her mouth opened in surprise, but no sound came out.

In front of her was a vast hall, covered in warm light sent out by enormous chandeliers. Red and white flags woven into each other and created a fascinating spectacle of colours. On the other side, directly opposite Reina, a marble, shining white staircase stretched upwards. At least 200 steps, Reina calculated roughly and her fascination increased even more. Who lived here?

"As of today, this will be your home, Yokoyama Reina."

Completely surprised that she was not alone, the young girl turned to her side. From one of the many doors on the left and right sides of the large hall a young woman approached her. The brown-blonde hair blew gracefully, as did her movement. Proud and attentive at the same time. Every step radiated security and dignity.

"My name is Goto Maki. And from now on you are one of my students."

Reina's eyes widened.

"W-what? Your disciple? What do you mean by that? Student of what?

After all, they were facing each other directly. The young girl was definitely only a few inches smaller than the stranger, but the enormous presence emanating from Goto Maki was overwhelming. Reina's knees began to tremble. What was suddenly going on with her?

The woman seemed to notice the insecurity. An almost motherly expression graced her face.

"Don't be afraid! You will soon learn everything. It would be best if you accompanied me. We did not expect you here immediately. But how do you say it: Better too early than too late, isn't it?

Goto Maki looked happily at Reina, but she didn't seem to expect an answer. Instead she turned around on her heel, waved her hand, a sign that Reina should follow her, and walked gracefully towards the marble stairs.

Completely perplexed, Reina walked after her. What was awaiting her now? Who was the woman with this incredible aura?

The girl felt the curiosity again. The woman claimed that this was now her new home. That meant that there must also be a former home. But not a single thought had a memory of a past life. It felt strange to think about it. She felt that there was a clear past for her. But she just couldn't reach for it. Any attempt to create a memory failed. But for some reason she didn't mind at all.

Her eyes were fixed to the ground, lost in thought. She was confused by the golden-yellow check patterns of the tiles. Her right eye twitched.

"Strange..."

Reina frowned silently. Goto Maki had her eyes on the girl and looked at her mysteriously. Reina hadn't noticed this at all as she wallowed in her thoughts and stopped abruptly. Worried, the girl asked:

"What i-is strange?"

Reina felt pierced by this intense look that was meant for her. For a short time they remained in one place. The woman didn't seem to make any effort to give an answer or at least to continue walking.

When Reina finally decided to ask again, the features of her companion relaxed.

"It's nothing. I only found it interesting that you were so willing to be comfortable with the situation. I know quite opposite examples."

Reminiscing in further remembrance, Goto Maki set off again. A grin lay on her face. Reina reassured this immensely. The woman seemed to be a good person. Her smile was honest, felt the girl.

Much more determined than before, she followed her new acquaintance. Uncertainty and tension accompanied her closely.

 

 


	3. Grade Zero

Reina thought amused that the local household did not lack any facilities at all. They had already walked past countless doors as they entered the fourth corridor. Should this indeed become her new home, she hoped that the way to the fridge was at least signposted.

Nevertheless, the young girl liked staying at this place. Every room she could catch a glimpse of seemed exceptionally well maintained. The corridors were flooded with the warm light that shone down from the high ceilings. The floor was covered with hazel laminate and was similarly decorated with red-golden and white-black carpets, similar to the flags in the entrance hall. Looking at the silver shining knight's armour at every corner of a corridor, Reina felt reminded of a magical castle. Where this thought came from, however, she could not understand. It was just there. And that made her strangely happy.

"We are there.”

Her guide stopped abruptly. A massive wooden door erected in front of them. It seemed extremely solid and had metal hinges along the edges.

Reina felt uncomfortable. What awaited her behind it? A new life? Old memories? Again, a smile graced her face. Whatever it was, Reina felt ready for anything.

"You seem to be happy. That is a bit unusual.”

Goto Maki looked at the grinning girl with a slight smile on her lips. Normally, newcomers had completely different kinds of emotions. Fear. Insecurity. Doubt. Anger. The experienced woman had been through all this in past times. But she never felt such harmony and childlike naivety at her side.

With a light push she opened the door. One last time she turned back, looked with gleaming eyes into the slightly tanned face of her companion and said:

"I think we can expect a lot from you, Yokoyama Reina."

With a big smile she turned around, stepped into the room behind the massive door and nearly left the stunned looking Reina there.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, in the sky, a beautiful sunset was aglow, marked by a radiant golden yellow, which turned into a burning orange and finally joined the horizon in shades of increasingly dark red.

Kamikokuryo Moe leaned in deep tranquility over the railing of the balcony on which she was standing. Deep in her thoughts, she looked into the endless vastness of nature, which unfolded so richly before her.

Green fields. A dark forest. High, blue mountains with white tips. The landscape seemed picturesque. Almost like a wonderful dream, surreal and yet within reach.

Kamiko, as the young girl was called by everyone, felt a strange feeling of wanderlust growing inside her. Now and then such impulses arose in her, but even after more than half a year she still couldn't tell where this kind of feelings came from. In such times she perceived an inner emptiness. An omission for something that was there and yet not. Maybe it was a thought she could not grasp. Or perhaps the feeling arose from a need that she could not get fulfilled.

In the end she could think about it as long as she wanted. She never managed to find a satisfactory solution to the problem. But how could she solve something she didn't even understand herself?

Slowly she felt the emerging coolness that became apparent at dusk. After the hot summer days of the last weeks this was a welcome change. Kamiko enjoyed the weak wind as it stroked through her long black hair. Full of inner relaxation she closed her eyes and let the moment slip away peacefully.

"You've been in this place quite often lately."

A familiar voice abruptly ended the silence. Kamiko opened her eyes and smiled. She knew exactly who was standing behind her, at the balcony entrance. She turned to the person and answered:

"It's pleasant to be alone for a few minutes at the end of the day and recharge your batteries. Don't you agree, Rikako?"

The person addressed, a tall girl with shoulder-length dark hair, leaned with crossed arms against the frame of the door. A deep frown stretched over her immaculately pretty face.

"I'm worried about you. To take a break once in a while is absolutely fine. But you've been isolating yourself more and more from the group lately. The grinning Moe has almost completely disappeared."

Kamiko's lips took on narrower features. The comment had clearly hit her feelings, but she didn't want to let it show.

However, the girl named Rikako immediately noticed that she had hit a nerve and took a decisive step towards Kamiko.

"If it's because of Kassa..."

Kamiko immediately opened her eyes.

"No!”

Silence. Both women looked at each other intensively. Then the voice of the smaller girl sounded again. This time her voice seemed weaker.

"No, that's not it."

Although she had actually planned to give her voice more weight, she knew that she had succeeded in exactly the opposite. Rikako must have noticed that too, Kamiko thought. For this reason she cast a slightly unsettled glance towards the person who was now directly opposite her.

For a short moment no one said a word. None of them even stirred.

Suddenly Kamiko felt gentle warmth on her left hand. Rikako had grabbed it and smiled softly as she whispered:

"You must not be hiding. Even if at the moment you have the feeling that it will make you feel better. Ultimately it will destroy you. And I don't want that. Nobody of us wants that.

Rikako's eyes sparkled. Kamiko loved to look into those hazel diamonds. They gave her the feeling of deepest security. She felt security and happiness near Rikako. No other person did this trick for her.

"RIKAKOOOOOOO! KAMIKOOOOOOO!"

A loud voice interrupted the silence of the moment surrounding the strange situation. Both young women were startled and looked at the balcony door in an instant. Not a second later, a light brown mop of hair appeared at the entrance, grinning at the scenery.

"Well then I caught you red-handed, I'd say. Turtledoves to-be, huh?"

Kamiko's eyes widened in shock and her cheeks turned a scarlet red, while Rikako defensively crossed her arms in front of her chest and answered hectically:

"Murotan! You're mistaken. We were just talking. Didn't we, Kamiko?"

The person she spoke to nodded in panic.

"Exactly! Exactly! I... We... uh..."

The lady named Murotan laughed heartily. Panting she said:

"You should see each other right now. The sunset is nothing against the red color on your faces."

Kamiko and Rikako didn't know what to do about it and could only wait out the embarrassing situation until Murota Mizuki, that was the full name of the laughing woman, had calmed down and finally liberated them:

"The new Kenshuusei are now fully present. Maho isn't very interested and Take is in training, so I wanted to ask you if you'd like to join me on the sightseeing tour."

At the last words a stealthy grin crept onto the face of the energy bundle. A shiver ran down Kamiko's back. She knew exactly how this sightseeing tour was going. She had already gone through it once. Normally one tried to make oneself as rare as possible at Kenshuusei inauguration ceremonies, only for the reason that one had not to be the tragic companion of Murotan. For she had her own way of welcoming the newcomers. And this was never to the advantage of those by her side.

Rikako sighed. She seemed to be pursuing the same thought as Kamiko. But if Murotan had targeted a person, it was impossible to escape her ban. And since the two girls did not want to be seen as targets for the previously staged mockery, they had no choice but to accept the request.

Murotan jumped into the air with joy.

"Hihi, this is going to be great. The newcomers will really get to know us and never forget us again."

Rikako gave Kamiko a disdainful look and whispered:

"That's what I'm afraid of..."

Kamiko tried to avoid a grin and accompanied her two comrades into the house.

 

 

 

 

Reina, still at Goto Maki's side, was now in a room that had strong resemblances to a classroom. Several wooden tables and chairs took up most of the space, while a kind of screen was set up at the front. The empty space between the screen and the tables covered about a quarter of the room. The floor was raised at this point by a small step and reminded Reina of a stage.

What did it serve for? Maybe the one who held his presentation in front of all the listeners needed a lot of space. Or maybe several people should fit on the stage to perform something.

But while the girl was still looking around in amazement, her companion pointed out that they were not alone.

Only now did Reina notice the other figures sitting at a corner of the room or leaning against the wall. A total of five people. All girls who, at least at first glance, were about the same age.

Reina paused at this thought for a moment. How old was she actually?

Exactly at the moment she asked herself this question, the soft voice whispered to her again:

"Fifteen..."

Suddenly she looked around the room more intensively. Nobody had addressed her directly. Neither Goto Maki nor any of the other girls.

But why would they do that, after all, Reina hadn't said her thoughts out loud.

A little confused she followed her guide through the rest of the room. While Goto Maki greeted the group with a smile, Reina examined the newcomers more closely.

Each of them seemed more or less intimidated or frightened.

On the one hand there was Nishida Shiori. Her special eye-catcher were the sweet dimples, which appeared with every movement of her face.

Then there was Yoshida Marie. She had funny button eyes and Reina thought for herself that they would certainly get along well with each other. However, her ears were red with nervousness and she seemed clearly the most frightened of all.

Hashisako Rin, most likely the youngest in the room, had such an innocent face that she seemed almost lost.

A girl, she stood out by her size, for she towered over most others by length, tried to smile a little cramped to mask her insecurity. She succeeded only moderately. She introduced herself as Kawamura Ayano. Especially next to Rin she seemed like a huge giant.

The coolest of them, it seemed, was Yamazaki Yuhane. She was casually leaning against the wall with her right shoulder and threw encouraging glances into the group, almost as if she wanted to say: "Don't be afraid! I'm here for you," which again seemed bizarre as she was apparently a newcomer herself.

After Goto Maki had introduced all the girls to each other, she turned away from the group and walked towards the stage.

With an impressive snap of her fingers, the room light turned off. Instead, the flickering glow of the screen was clearly visible. A text was formed on it:

"HELLO!PROJECT ONLINE”

Some of the girls respectfully whispered the title they read there for the first time. In a majestic manner, Goto Maki spread her arms and began to speak:

"Welcome to _Hello!Project Online_! With your presence here and now, you have already taken the first step towards becoming part of this fantastic journey. A journey that will teach you everything you need to know for life."

She took a short break and looked around smiling. No one said a word. Banned silence filled the room. Then she continued:

"This castle, we call it _Haven_ , the refuge of every stranded person in life, is your home as of today. We, the teachers, teach you everything to get on in this world. Even though most of you already know it, I would like to repeat it: My name is Goto Maki. I am responsible for training the mind. One of the three disciplines and pillars of our institution. If you are naturally chosen, you will learn the extraction of your inner being to the outside. Dealing with your mind. Touching your soul and handling it.”

Reina secretly looked at the other girls. She still didn't know what all this was all about. What exactly were they there for? What was the goal of the whole thing? Who had brought them to this place?

Reina recognized all these questions and much more confusion in the faces of her fellow sufferers.

Even Goto Maki was aware of this and her features became more serious. With a softer tone and more deliberately chosen words than before, she explained further:

"I don't want to lie to you. And I see in your eyes that you crave answers. But those answers you seek are dangerous. But of course you have a right to know why you are here."

The teacher took an unpleasantly long break and breathed deeply several times. Just when Reina thought that Goto Maki had simply forgotten that she wanted to tell something, she began to raise her voice alarmingly:

"As you may have already noticed, this is not the real world. We are in a virtual reality."

Boom. Boom. Boom. Reina's heart was racing. What was she just told? Not the real world? What did that mean? But she was here, wasn't she? Her hand lay on a wooden table, whose flat form she could feel completely without delay. The glances she cast through the room seemed so crystal clear. And the smell of the classroom...

Goto Maki continued her lecture mercilessly:

"Yes, this information may be a shock for you. And you probably don't even believe me. After all, everything feels so real here."

Her gaze intensified. Even Reina now felt a slight discomfort.

"Don't be fooled. Exactly in this moment you are connected in a special hospital to many sensors, which cover all senses of your body. Taste. Smell. Hearing. Vision. Feeling. Every nerve end is connected to a super-computer, which only simulates all these physical emotions. It meticulously calculates in nanoseconds what you feel when and how by analyzing and assigning your brain waves."

This idea gave rise to goose bumps chasing over Reina's back, and another followed right after, as she thought that these goose bumps were generated by a computer connected to her body.

Goto Maki gave the girls a short break to digest all this. When she noticed that her listeners had regained their composure, she continued, at least more considerately, now:

"I want you to listen carefully and stay focused. For what I now tell you can destroy you if you do not pay attention.”

Fear was flooding the room noticeably. But nobody spoke a word. Goto Maki nodded encouragingly and then told:

"You have fallen victim to a severe neuronal disease. The treatment requires extreme measures, which would not have been possible in the real world through your consciousness. Therefore, your brain activities and the corresponding net structure were copied at great expense and packed into a virtual vessel. Inside this vessel a blockade was erected, which locks away the memories of your old life. Instead, the virtual network structure that you have free access to was fed with neutrally accessible data, such as the memory of a classroom from a perfectly normal school facility. You all probably had a pleasantly nostalgic moment when you entered the room."

She pointed her hands to the environment they were in. Reina was forced to agree with her. The room felt strangely familiar, although she didn't know where it came from at all. The other girls all felt similar, she noticed with a sideways glance.

"I know the situation will completely overwhelm you right now. And maybe you are not completely satisfied with the handling. But you can be sure that all this has been discussed with you beforehand. Each one of you has agreed to this treatment with your own will. Because it saves you. At least the very best is tried to save you..."

Suddenly the voice of Goto Maki failed and the eyes of the girls were wide open with horror. Yuhane was the first to call:

"What does that mean? Is it possible that we still die?”

The woman smiled weakly before answering:

"Yes. You can die."

That had been enough. Reina's stomach contracted. She got sick. She didn't want to die. She wanted to experience things. To have fun. Get to know new friends. Had she ever been in love? How did that feel? What exciting experiences she had missed. And what experiences had she forgotten?

So many thoughts and questions shot through her head at the same time that she became dizzy.

Meanwhile Goto Maki lifted her arms to calm her down.

"Listen up! Yes, it is true. You are in acute danger. I don't want to gloss over that. But do you feel anything of it at the moment? Do you feel pain?”

Confused, the girls looked at each other.

No. None of them felt any discomfort outside the news they had just received. In fact, until a few minutes ago, they had all talked quite positively and vividly. This would not have been possible if a deadly disease had slumbered in their consciousness.

"So you see, the therapy is extremely effective. If you still had all your memories and perceptions from the real world, this could lead to a collapse of your brain and the doctors would no longer be able to do anything for you. In fact, and here comes the true treatment, you are your own doctors..."

Goto Maki's beautiful smile had returned as she looked into the helpless faces.

"This world, created solely for you, is the therapy you need to return strengthened and, most importantly, healed to reality. Like a phoenix rising from its ashes."

A short pause was taken to allow some reflection of the words. Reina felt as if Goto Maki had been working towards this with her monologue. And she was right.

"As you can imagine, the progress of a therapy always comes from the patient. If the patient loses the will to live, the disease wins. The more the patient believes in himself and his environment, the more guaranteed is the success of the therapy.  
Normally such a process is carried out with the whole body and mind in the real world. This is not so easy in your case. You can neither move nor be conscious during the treatment. That is why this virtual reality was created to simulate a therapeutic environment. Here you can freely unfold body and mind in full consciousness. Your task is to increase the potential of your mental power and your energy while keeping the mental balance within you. Harmony and natural balance are the keywords here.  
As you live through this development of your being, you will be confronted with tasks that can be of various forms. Some of these tasks are important for the existence of our society in this world and increase on the one hand your prestige here and on the other hand your self-confidence and thus the strength of your will for life and freedom.  
But there are also tasks, and tests that go along with them, that are essential for your survival. Failure to accomplish such a task can have serious consequences for your state of mind in reality.  
So, as you can hear, you yourself are always the key to your own healing."

Goto Maki looked around after these hard to digest words. Many question marks formed over the heads of the girls, but each of them had the feeling that these very questions would soon be answered by themselves. In a good or bad way.

"Now I'd like to explain to you how you're going to live in the Haven and what the Haven is."

One last deep breath of Goto Makis echoed through the room.

"The girls who live here in the Haven are all about your age. Some are older. Some are younger. There are different groupings to which certain girls are assigned. Within these groups, the members get to know two of our three cornerstones. Knowledge of the Mind, my specialty, and Knowledge of the Energy.  
The third pillar, Knowledge of Clarity, is transmitted among generations. A generation is made up of girls from all groupings who have been assigned to a grouping at the same time or in a narrow period, because their state of knowledge is at the same level. This is not necessary with the other two Knowledges, because there the interaction with the own grouping, which is from now on your family, is particularly brought into focus.  
Within a group, one tries to go through the different Grades of Rehab, from One to Five. They serve to assess your rehabilitation status and also give you a seniority."

Goto Maki wrote an invisible S in the air with her finger and suddenly the writing disappeared from the screen. Instead, six pictures of different people appeared. Above it Roman numerals from zero to five.

"These are girls at our academy. They all belong to different grades and thus to different seniorities. So they are in different stages of therapy and thus their experience with the world is much more differentiated from each other. On the basis of this, we can determine a clear hierarchy. If far-reaching decisions are made, they will always be judged according to seniority. A Grade Three member has to listen to a Grade Four member. A Grade Four member must again show the necessary respect to a Grade Five member. I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at.  
It's a simple Senpai-Kouhai construct that enables you to learn from the more experienced girls and pass knowledge on to a younger generation at the same time."

Nishida Shiori suddenly interrupted Goto Maki's lecture by pointing a finger. She looked irritated at the young black-haired girl with the sweet dimples. Reina liked her calm voice, even if it was somewhat fragile, marked by the insecurity each of the girls had in the room.

" Mrs. ...um ...Goto?! W-What does the zero mean? You said there were only five grades, didn't you?

Goto Maki grinned at the remark and turned her eyes to the picture of the girl below the striking zero. She wore short, black hair and seemed both cheerful and determined. Her pose, her face pointing far away and her hands a few centimeters from her hips, under perfect body tension, gave the whole scenery of the picture a heroic expression. Reina became warm around her heart and at the same time she felt an instinct to get to know this person.

"What I said earlier is right. There are only five official Rehab Grades. But there is another unofficial number. _Grade Zero_!”

And with another majestic movement she turned to her listeners and pointed her index finger at the girls.

"You! You are currently in Grade Zero! This is a classification that allows you to stay here in the Haven and receive the basic training of our teachings. You are the newcomers and cannot be assigned to a group immediately.  
No. You will receive training first. And depending on how quickly you learn and are ready, you will be assigned to a grouping after some time. Finally, it must be determined whether your body and mind are strong enough to participate in the therapy. Only then will you begin the official rehabilitation. So get to work!"

A general murmur went through the round. Reina tried to bring all the information she had just received into a certain structure in her head.

It was about her survival. So much she had understood. She had to be in one of these groups in order to really be able to implement the therapy.

This all seemed extremely disturbing. At least Reina had the feeling that she had to feel this way.

But strangely enough a certain relief spread through her. She now knew what was wrong with her. She was neither crazy nor had she otherwise suffered any lasting damage, so she would have lost all memories. Apart from the fact that she was terminally ill, everything was fine. With this dry thought she had to stifle a laugh.

As she looked around, she saw faces not quite so confident. Kawamura Ayano changed every second between hoarse laughter and horrified facial expressions. Yoshida Marie had completely collapsed. Hashisako Rin tried desperately to suppress her tears. Nishida Shiori had become as white as chalk.

Only Yamazaki Yuhane seemed as composed and confident as Reina, which reassured her.

But as the first tremendous shock slowly subsided, Goto Maki confidently stepped towards the girls, formed a V with her index and middle fingers and touched her right cheek with them. Grinning at both ears, she said:

"Welcome to _Hello!Project Online_! And of course welcome to the REHAB Academy!”


	4. Kenshuusei

The shock was still deep. Nevertheless, the group led by Goto Maki headed for the training rooms.

In pairs they entered one corridor after the other. The Haven was definitely a gigantic place. Their guide told them how she had wandered through this labyrinth for the first time. When asked if there were any directions or pointers, she just laughed dryly, but didn't answer.

After several doors, crossings, and staircases, they finally reached the destination that Goto Maki had set for them.

Reina, who was trying to keep up next to the tall Kawamura Ayano, felt an excited tingling in her chest. They were now to meet the remaining members of Grade Zero. The majority of them practiced hard to be assigned to a group at some point. However, Goto didn't say a word about WHAT they were practicing.

When Reina thought about it, she realized that she had no idea what criteria were used to join one of these ominous groups.

The other girls of her generation had asked this question several times, but the constantly grinning woman remained in mysterious silence.

Reina looked at the wooden twin door that stood in front of them. When she looked at the pretty engravings and curves, she felt a little uneasy. This had nothing to do with the upcoming encounters. She was really looking forward to them. Instead, she had to deal with the fact that almost every larger door in almost every major corridor looked exactly the same. Reina was absolutely sure that she would not perish of any therapy, but of this maze of wood, stone and armour.

On the other hand, the young girl thought to herself, this could also be part of the treatment. Perhaps the Haven tested the survival skills mentioned, as it was taught to scouts. They also relied on their trained sense of orientation and the cryptic directions the environment gave them.

"Yokoyama, are you coming?"

Reina was startled by the sound of her name. Kawamura Ayano looked at her inquiring. The tall girl had already moved ahead quite a bit, whereas the others had already entered the new room completely. Without noticing, Reina had stopped. Inside she cursed herself for letting herself be distracted so quickly. Certainly Goto Maki had already explained everything in detail on how they could easily find their way around the Haven and Reina had missed it. Now she had to sleep on the hard floor forever and cover herself with carpets because she couldn't find her way into her room anymore.

She shook her head vehemently. Of course that didn't happen. Asking for the way was certainly not forbidden.

She quickly caught up with her people. Immediately all previous thoughts had disappeared when she entered the huge hall.

It was a training hall like the ones professional sports clubs would own in the real world.

Different circles and lines were drawn on the elastic floor to mark the areas of different types of sports, stretching over the entire surface in a dull blue tone. The sides were crowded with mechanical devices of all kinds. Reina didn't know a single name, but even the sight of it triggered an unparalleled enthusiasm.

The hall itself also had spectator ranks, which faced upwards from the field by ten steps. Above was a second level, separated by a safety grid, which probably allowed an even better view of the area.

The sports hall was definitely an impressive structure. On the opposite side of the entrance door, where the new arrivals were currently standing together with Goto Maki, a small group trained in front of a huge mirror. The mirror extended almost over the whole area.

Together they walked across the field and joined the practicing girls. They were all in the same age group as the new arrivals. But they, too, already radiated a certain aura. It wasn't even a slight comparison to Goto Maki, whose perception was still difficult for Reina to put into words. Nevertheless, the strange energy emanating from the young people could not be denied.

"These are your future companions, if you want to call them that.”

Goto Maki pointed to the little group consisting of six girls.

They immediately finished their training and examined the new girls extensively. Reina was relieved to notice that the glances were by no means harsh or unpleasant. Instead, they were greeted warmly. Honest joy surrounded the hall and Reina felt a pleasant tingling sensation running through her whole body.

Interestingly, the first person to introduce herself to them was also a Reina. Ichioka Reina.

"It's great that we get reinforcements. You must be very excited, but don't worry, we won't be too hard on you at first. You have all the time in the world to get used to it."

Her clear laughter made her sympathetic. As one of the oldest of them, already two years older than Reina, she had the unofficial leadership of the members of Grade Zero.

"But don't get all your hopes up that you will join Morning Musume. The next star there will be me."

The clearly youngest girl among them, Kiyono Momohime, grinned challenging at Reina's group. Apparently she saw the group as a new competitor. In her eyes one could see burning ambition.

Two more young women joined them. Dambara Ruru was tall and calm, but Reina was surprised at her incredible mental strength. She was clearly the person with the greatest potential in the hall.

The other person addressed her first words directly to the cheeky Momohime.

"You should first train your steps and coordination properly. Otherwise people will think that Morning Musume would be a group of amateurs if they took in such a little tripping queen."

The name of the speaker was Takase Kurumi. She had a round, loving face, which now lay hidden behind a severe mine.

Momohime gave her an unhappy grimace and then turned her gaze away from the older one.

Horie Kizuki, lovingly called Kii-Chan by everyone, was the oldest of the group by pure age, which is why she was treated with great respect by the others present. Her stories were also full of experience. She actually came from another therapy program that worked under the same conditions as _Hello!Project Online_. It had the strange name _NICE GIRL Project_!

Kii-Chan was transferred to the local therapy after the partner program had to be closed for some unknown reason, along with some other girls.

Reina's eyes were wide open with amazement. She could not help but be impressed by all these personalities with whom she would soon spend her time. They were all, just like Reina herself, still at the beginning of her therapy. They all pursued the same goal: joining one of the large groups.

_But don't get all your hopes up that you will come to Morning Musume. The next star there will be me._

The words of the young Momohime struck Reina's mind.

Morning Musume? Was this one of those ominous groups?

Suddenly her eyes fell on a person who had not joined them. A girl with short black hair. She was taller than Kawamura Ayano, Reina thought. The flat, round face seemed timeless. One could not exactly determine the age of the girl. The forehead was wrinkled. Apparently she was highly concentrated on the task. Without even paying attention to the new arrivals, she performed one fluid movement after another. She drew an elegant circular pattern, with legs and arms in perfect harmony.

Reina could not elude the beauty of the moment. Astonished, her jaw dropped. That was the girl she had seen in the picture of Goto Maki's lecture. Was it a dance she performed? The changes of direction were so smooth. Fast at times. Sometimes slowly. But always in harmony with the rhythm of Reina's heartbeat. The young girl felt a strong connection. Longing awakened in her...

"Kaedi! Why don't you take a break and come here?"

Takase Kurumi's voice echoed over to Reina and the strange girl. Both were startled and torn from their different yet equal trances.

Reina shook her head violently with confusion. She hadn't even noticed how she had moved away from the group and had stepped closer and closer to the fascinating girl.

This same girl looked at her for a brief moment. Her serious gaze grazed Reinas. Confusion could be read on both faces. Then she turned her attention to the group, especially Takase Kurumi. With a sudden bow she produced a hasty apology:

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize the newcomers were already here."

Momohime hit her on the back laughing.

"Yes yes, Kaedi! We know you can't get enough of training."

The person spoke to scratched her head slightly embarrassed, but said nothing about it.

Goto Maki clapped her hands satisfied.

"Well, not all Kenshuusei are here, but that doesn't matter. We..."

"Kenshuusei?"

Nishida Shiori seemed surprised. The other new arrivals also exchanged puzzled looks.

Goto Maki frowned because of the interruption. Then she realized the problem.

"This is your small but fine inauguration. You are now members of the Hello!Project Kenshuusei. With the ascent to this rank you are now officially recognized in the Haven. Tomorrow you will start together with your comrades", she looked with a smile into the big circle, "the training. This is Grade Zero, which I've already told you about."

Nishida Shiori, who had interrupted Goto Maki before, was now completely silent. Kawamura Ayano and Yoshida Marie examined the more experienced girls with a slightly fearful look. Hashisako Rin had to hold back the tears again.

But Yamazaki Yuhane radiated enormous determination. A confident smile embraced her striking face. Reina could absolutely understand this emotion. She, too, felt the huge anticipation growing. There was no reason for grief or concern. This was an adventure. And they were all allowed to experience it together.


	5. Arrival of ANGERME

Sweat was dripping across the hall area in torents. The training group had resumed its exercises. And it seemed to be anything but a piece of cake.

Reina sat, together with her generation mates, on the floor of the hall. They leaned in a row against the small wall that led to the spectator stands. Speechless and fascinated at the same time, they observed the spectacle that was presented to them.

Goto Maki had already left an hour ago. She told Ichioka Reina, known among the Kenshuusei as Icchan and who was in command of the Kenshuusei together with Takase Kurumi, that the newcomers were still free today and would start their first real training tomorrow morning.

Nevertheless, Icchan had offered the 26th generation of Kenshuusei, as the newcomers were now officially called, to watch them training to get an idea of their future activities.

Yokoyama Reina could not really imagine what the actual therapy, according to Goto Maki, would look like. Now she could finally see the impression she had been waiting for. And her face was one huge question mark.

The group of six moved in perfect rhythm with each other. Icchan was at the top of their formation, dictating the steps. Reina had the impression of a constantly changing dance. At first, slow, even hand movements were performed in the air, while each foot step was chosen with extreme caution. Suddenly there were lightning-fast, successive changes of direction with each limb, followed by an elegant cartwheel over crossed hands. Finally, all kinetic energy was channelled into a flowing, slow-motion body technique.

"This are fighting choreographies."

The 26th generation looked unanimously to Yuhane. Her analytical remark came as a surprise. Her eyes were firmly fixed on the bodies of the various participants. She literally absorbed every movement. Reina had to laugh internally at this idea.

Shiori mumbled quietly in the meantime:

"You mean we learn how to fight?"

Rin had a shiver running down her back.

"I don't want to fight."

Yuhane gave the little girl an encouraging smile.

"It's not wrong to learn how to defend yourself, is it?"

The person she spoke to nodded slowly, but didn't seem convinced. Ayano, on the other hand, put her thumb and index finger on her distinctive chin. Seemingly she thought it through.

Suddenly she said:

"But it's not just a fight, is it, Yuhane?"

The girl with the determined look nodded in agreement.

"You're right, Ayano. Viewed quite simply, they are just practicing a dance. This way they learn perseverance and body balance. Both are also important elements in worldwide martial arts."

Reina admired Yuhane for being able to make this connection in her mind. But something confused her. So Reina asked:

"But if it could even be a dance, then why do you think it is a fighting choreography? Couldn't the movements just happen to look like fighting elements?”

Yuhane smiled knowingly.

"I could be wrong, of course. But these constantly changing rhythm movements switch back and forth rather consciously between active and passive action. These are clear arguments in favour of fighting techniques."

Marie was completely overwhelmed.

"Why is that?"

Yuhane continued her monologue.

"In a fight, especially in self-defense, you always find yourself in a situation where you change from a reserved behaviour to an aggressive one without hesitation. This can happen through an action or reaction. In a dance you usually don't change your speed so spontaneously. Normally it is a transition from slow to fast and back based on each other."

Reina nodded automatically. That sounded plausible, even if one thing was still not quite clear:

"What are we learning to fight for?"

Even Yuhane didn't know a direct answer. Instead Shiori remarked loudly:

"Martial arts should have a healthy effect on body and mind when they are performed. Maybe that's part of the therapy."

The others nodded approvingly. That sounded understandable.

Now Reina was even more excited than before. She had great desire to learn this fight dance. She would have liked to have started immediately. Even if of course a few remaining doubts rushed through her head. Was she even able to perform such rhythmic movements? Would they also be so expressive?

No! She wasn't allowed to think about it. Her hands instinctively clenched to fists. She didn't want to fail. She simply was not allowed to do that.

Suddenly a muffled knock echoed through the hall.

The experienced Kenshuusei stopped immediately with their exercises and looked around confused. The 26th generation also tried to locate the origin of the sound. Rin was the first to exclaim:

"Up there!"

Immediately all eyes turned to the terrace, which stretched in the heights over the spectator stands. On one side of the hall, bent over the metal railing, there were three shade-like figures. Two of them were relatively small. Reina estimated them to be about her own size. The third person was taller. More Dambaras and Kaedis format.

One of the smaller ones was the cause of the knocking. Apparently she had banged her finger bones against the metal wall above which the railing was erected.

"Why are the newcomers sitting around so lazily?"

The girl seemed to enjoy her own question. Her cheerful laughter resounded from the walls.

But for some reason, Icchan looked extremely sternly towards the trio.

"Murota, not today! They start their training tomorrow. So you don't have to try anything stupid."

Without going into it, the person named Murota suddenly jumped over the railing and recklessly landed on the yielding hall floor. A broad grin accompanied her, as did her two comrades, a girl with long, smooth, black hair and the other, the taller one, with an elegant short haircut.

"May I introduce myself? My name is Murota Mizuki. These are Kamiko", her thumb pointed behind her to the little girl, "and Rikako", a second hand movement directed at the biggest of the trio.

Then she said with joyful excitement:

"We aaaaaaaaare... ANGERME!!!"

Momohime shook her head and buried her face in her hand with second-hand embarrassment. Kurumi rolled her eyes. But Murota Mizuki ignored them. Her gaze was directed solely at the newcomers. They didn't know at all what was going on. That's why the cause for the chaos once again assumed the lead and addressed the 26th generation directly:

"Go newcomers! Enough lazing around! Move it!"

Without warning, Murota Mizuki pushed herself off the ground and raced towards the newcomer group at incredible speed that Reina had never experienced before. Only thanks to her instinct, which indicated obvious danger to her, Reina avoided the strange attack at the last second. With a powerful tug she pulled Shiori and Ayano with her, who otherwise would not have been able to move.

Yuhane had probably listened to the same uneasy sensation. She had immediately grabbed Rin and Marie and fled to the opposite side.

A terrible explosion followed right next to Reina. Her eyes widened in shock. Murota's fist dug itself into the foundation of the wall with a crack and bang. Stone boulders pelted on the ground. What kind of monstrous power was that?

But she had no time to think about it any further. A scream at her side demanded her attention.

The little black-haired girl who stood behind Murota earlier was right next to them. Reina's muscles cramped in panic. Where did she suddenly come from? This speed was impossible.

Without being able to do anything about it, Reina had to watch how the girl named Kamiko tore Shiori out of her arms and threw her with a strong swing towards the ceiling of the hall. Shiori's horrible cry struck Reina to the core.

Immediately her gaze rushed to Yuhane. The big young woman named Rikako had followed the divided group. Without even touching the girls' bodies, they were torn apart. Rin and Marie were dragged across the hall floor, while Yuhane just leaned against the wall behind her, thus prevented the hard impact. In return she received a surprised twitch of Rikako's eyebrows.

"You daydream a little too much. Take better care of yourself."

The words sounded directly at her ear. Someone was incredibly close behind her. Like in slow motion Reina turned her head. It was Murota, whose face was not even ten centimeters away from her own.

The last thing Reina heard was the cheerful laughter of the lunatic as she was completely smashed through the room by a brute force that seemed invisible to her. What was that? What was going on here? Who are the three?

Even as she hurried towards the wall at the other end of the hall, she thought about these questions. She really wanted to find out. She wanted answers to her questions. Now! NOW!

With an abrupt somersault in the air she threw her legs back and made a 180 degree turn. At almost the same moment her legs hit the wall in just time and Reina managed to keep her balance.

For a fraction of a second time stood still. It looked as if she was squatting sideways against the wall and as if all the laws of gravity had been suspended.

Everyone who witnessed the spectacle was completely taken by surprise by the situation. Icchan and Kurumi held their breath. Kaedi narrowed her eyes. Ayano, who fortunately remained untouched, turned pale as chalk. Murota Mizuki opened her mouth and eyes in joyful amazement.

For a brief moment Reina focused her eyes on Murota. Her gaze was deadly. At the same moment she pushed herself off the wall and flew towards her opponent at breathtaking speed.

Murota had never expected such a reaction. Nevertheless, she quickly took a defensive stance and waited excited for the collision with Reina.

A violent gust of wind shot over the area.

Both Murota and Reina were completely irritated. The ANGERME member was pushed back against the wall, while the newcomer promptly lost her balance in the air and hit the ground painfully.

Shortly before she collided, another person had intervened. It was Kaga Kaede, known among the Kenshuusei as Kaedi.

She had taken advantage of Reina's speed and neutralized it. At the same moment she used the energy of the generated momentum to knock Murota away. However, the chaos queen had blocked the reaction impact and had only been pushed back a little by the pressure wave.

Immediately the silent Kaede raised her voice:

"That's enough now, Murotan."

The addressee hesitated briefly. For a moment her gaze seemed to be fixed on her adversary. But then she suddenly regained her laughter.

"All right, all right. I already understand Kaedi. After all, this is important training time that you lose, isn't it? And time is precious."

She had pronounced the last set with a weaker undertone. But it had apparently created a desired effect on Kaede. She glared angrily at the chaot and walked towards her.

"Do you have something to say to me? ..."

Reina, who was still lying on the floor in surprise, looked at the two. Their faces almost touched. One could literally see the rage sparks spraying between them.

Suddenly the young girl began to laugh. Murotan and Kaede looked down at her in amazement. Reina laughed so loudly that everyone walked up to them. Icchan was even briefly worried that Reina had suffered a head injury.

But she continued to laugh. So heartily. So honest and cheerful. So naive and childish. She could not stop.

Kamiko carried Shiori to the scene. The little ANGERME member had only thrown Shiori a little, but left her unharmed. Finally the girl with the dimples was caught smiling by the experienced fighter. Ayano accompanied her.

Rikako had reached out her hand to Yuhane, Rin and Marie. She was especially enthusiastic about Yuhane.

They all gathered around Murotan, Kaede and Reina. The sight had to appear absolutely bizarre to any outsider. Two girls who almost wanted to smash their heads and a third girl who looked at them and laughed loudly.

The others could not help but join in the laughter at some point. Murotan regained her cheerfulness. And even Kaede let herself be tempted to smile. In the end, they all didn't even know why they were laughing. But it felt good. And it was this little dark-haired girl with the well-formed lips called Yokoyama Reina who made them all feel the joy.

After they had calmed down gradually, Murotan reached out her hand to the girl lying on the floor. Reina accepted the offer gratefully and was finally able to stand up. After a respectful nod, Murotan said:

"I've never met anyone like you before. I take the liberty of showing the newcomers to the academy what to expect. But usually these newcomers are scared to death or run away screaming. Chasing them across the hall is, how would you say ", she playfully tapped her lips with her index finger, "a hobby of mine".

Again a grin spread on her face.

"But I have to admit that it has never happened to me before that someone is so cheeky and actually resists me. I am impressed. Maybe you're even someone for ANGERME?"

With a strong punch to Reina's shoulder, Murotan made her understand her emerging respect for the girl. However, she immediately collapsed under the force. Shocked, everyone helped her up again. Reina's legs twitched and trembled as she spoke with her eyes closed:

"I think it was all a little too much today. All I really want is a warm bath and an even warmer bed."

Kurumi put on her loving smile again.

"No wonder! Not only did you endure a blow from a group member, you also wanted to counter it in the end. To absorb the impact with your legs has certainly done more harm than good to your body. But that's exactly what you're here for. To achieve the balance between your body and your mind."

Dambara Ruru, who had remained silent the whole time prior to this, also turned her attention to Reina.

"I've never seen a newcomer stand up to Murotan like that before. We should be on cautious of you."

Even though Reina didn't know if that was a well-intentioned compliment, she returned Ruru's smile. Somehow she felt it was a great honor.

Just as Goto Maki clapped her hands when greeting the newcomers, Ichioka Reina now copied her in the same way.

"Guys, it's already late. We finish the training for today. I think it's been an eventful day and we should be rested and excited for the next morning. Don't you think so?"

They all agreed. Murotan, Kamiko and Rikako said goodbye and were the first to leave.

Reina looked after them with determination. Yuhane and Ayano joined her side. The somewhat scatterbrained Kawamura was the first to speak:

"So that was one of those groups. They are really strong. Tomorrow we'll have a lot to do if we want to join them."

Reina nodded. She was absolutely right. This speed. Mobility. Power. Concentration. Murotan. Kamiko. Rikako. They were incredible. Reina's eyes sparkled.

Smiling, Yuhane put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I understand you. Tomorrow we'll show everyone what we're made of."

Reina could no longer wait for all that was to come. The feeling of joy, excitement and bliss flooded through her soul. She was ready. She was ready for the REHAB Academy.

Fullest determination the three stepped towards the exit. Soon her journey was to begin.

…

...

"Um..."

Shiori cleared her throat suddenly. Reina as well as Yuhane and Ayano turned to her in confusion.

"Do you know where we sleep?"

…

…

…

A bewildered silence spread. Completely perplexed and with a stunned look, the three stared at the questioner. She noticed the cluelessness and shouted half angry, half laughing:

"WHAT? YOU RUN QUITE DRAMATICALLY TO THE EXIT OF THE HALL AND DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO AFTERWARDS?"

With the exception of the three and Shiori, everyone laughed. Snorting Icchan said:

"Don't worry. I'll show you everything. First where you sleep, second where you will eat with us tomorrow morning. Even if the castle is big, I have some nice advice for you, which can help you in some aisles."

Reina and Ayano were so relieved and grateful that they even burst into tears and threw themselves in front of Icchan's legs, until Kurumi gave them some solid head bumps and they calmed down.

All in all it was a harmonious group. And the new ones seemed to fit in perfectly, the older ones thought.

 


	6. Tsunku

Yokoyama Reina lay in her bed with her arms crossed behind her head and looked up at the black ceiling. After everything she had experienced today, she must have been dog-tired. But instead countless thoughts shot through her head.

Goto Maki. The Haven. The 26th generation. ANGERME. The Kenshuusei.

A little further to her left Kawamura Ayano gave a loud snore. The rustling of the different blankets left Reina with a pleasant, familiar feeling. Unconsciously a smile stole on her young face.

Icchan had guided her from the training hall directly to the dormitories. While they had walked through the corridors, the older one had explained to them in the simplest way how they could easily follow the way themselves:

"You're not aware of it yet, but you'll find that the experience you've had implemented will actually prove extremely useful from time to time. For example, you will be able to understand some general Morse characters and give them yourself."

In this note, some of the newcomers were astounded to pull their eyebrows up. Icchan had continued without noticing them:

"As you may have noticed, we have now passed crossings many times," she had indicated with a grin. "On the way between our training hall and the Kenshuusei dormitories there are exactly six crossings. And for each of them you take the shortest walk. And you don't have to be afraid, because in any case it's unmistakable which continuing corridor isn't as long as the others".

Yuhane had argued confusedly:

"But what has the whole thing to do with the Morse code?"

As a result, Icchan's grin only grew wider when she replied:

"Between the first and last three short corridors there are exactly three more corridors, which are much longer than the previous ones. One will lead you to the main hall with the large marble staircase that you have already seen today. The second one is rather metaphorical, because it is the passage from one door of the main hall to the opposite door. The third passage leads out of the main hall and makes a strong left turn."

Even though Reina still hadn't understood what Icchan was trying to get at, it seemed that the mnemonic was slowly coming to an end. A very long-winded mnemonic as it looked, Reina thought in silence.

"So we have three short aisles, three long aisles and then three short aisles again. Do you notice anything?"

Yuhane had answered promptly:

"S.O.S."

Icchan had to laugh at this quick answer:

"Exactly! So if you doubt how to get from the dorm to the training hall or vice versa, just remember the Morse code for the S.O.S. command. Three short corridors. Three long corridors. Three short corridors. And if you still get lost, you'll at least know what to scream for someone to help you."

With this memory Reina had to grin involuntarily into her pillow. All the new acquaintances seemed so determined and cheerful. The young girl wanted to take this as an example.

Her eyes wandered through the blackness of the room. The gentle breathing sounds of her generation members echoed over to her. They all lay in single beds. They were not particularly wide, but the mattress felt like a cuddly cloud. It was not surprising that the others had disappeared into the realm of dreams after only a few minutes.

"... Reina? Are you still awake?"

Shiori's whispering voice reached her from a corner. Reina answered quietly:

"Yes. I am much too excited. I wonder what awaits us tomorrow."

The other girl was silent for a moment. Then she replied:

"The training didn't look like it was easy."

Reina clearly noticed the worried undertone. She tried to give Shiori a smile despite the darkness.

"When Goto Maki teaches us, it can only be cool, can it? And Icchan, Kurumi, Momohime and all the others will certainly support us actively. Then we'll soon be as strong as ANGERME."

Shiori laughed hoarse.

"We don't really know each other yet, but so far I've only heard positive words from your mouth, Reina."

The addressed one went red from embarrassment. Shiori couldn't actually see this, but she whispered with a grinning tone:

"I like that."

Without changing words anymore, the two girls turned to their favourite sleeping side and closed their eyes.

Some things went through Reina's head before she gradually slipped into sleep. But she gave a final word, subconsciously and already completely flown into another world of thoughts, with a pleasantly warm feeling of herself: friends.

 

 

 

 

"...na! ...Reina! ...REINA!"

The dark-haired girl scared the hell out of her bed. The blanket flew in a high arc towards the middle of the room, hit the surprised Ayano as she was putting on a shirt and mercilessly knocked her down.

Marie stood at Reina's bed and looked at her reproachfully.

"You sleepyhead! We were supposed to meet Icchan in the main hall in ten minutes."

The girl quickly turned away from the person she was talking to and ran into the bathroom next door. Meanwhile Reina tried to collect herself. Half asleep she looked at the cuckoo clock above the door. The owl, which shot out of the wooden structure every second and served as an alarm clock, looked at the tousled ball, consisting of hairs scattered to the winds, with a wrinkled forehead and pointed warningly with one finger at the dial. Ten to seven.

It took Reina a few seconds to realize the situation. Ayano had meanwhile brought her back the blanket with a slightly reddened face.

Fragmented memories penetrated into the heads of the fifteen-year-old. She had been dreaming. It was about a man in a white suit. He smiled. Suddenly she found herself on a huge chocolate iceberg. Feelings of happiness foamed up in her. Elegantly she surfed on the waves of cold food.

The longer she thought about it, the more she felt the desire to return to her dream.

"REIIIIINAAAAA!!!"

Yuhane and Marie had stuck their heads out of the bathroom at the same time and looked annoyed at the dreamer. She scared off from bed a second time and, how could it be otherwise, again threw the blanket towards the centre of the room exactly at the unsuspecting Ayano. The loud rumbling of her fall was heard throughout the dorm.

 

 

 

 

It was seven o'clock on the dot when the 26th generation arrived at the massive marble staircase in the main hall, gasping and gasping. Shiori put her hands on her knees and brought out with agonizing shortness of breath:

"I thought we were in a virtual world here. Then why is there such a thing as stitching and chest pain? It all feels very real."

From the top of the stairs they heard an amused laugh. Icchan and Kurumi stepped down to them. The leader of the Kenshuusei answered immediately:

"You forget that this is supposed to simulate therapy. Of course all efforts from the real world have to be taken over."

Rin moaned now:

"If we don't have any advantages anyway, why don't we do the therapy in the real world right away?"

After that Kurumi gave her a shrewd smile:

"Oh, you will notice that you enjoy some advantages in this world that you would not otherwise have."

The youngest of them grumbled:

"I hope so."

Without further comments, they started the walk together. Finally climbing up this gigantic staircase had something satisfying for Reina. It almost seemed as if this impressive rock form had waited for her, had literally called for her.

But what followed next Reina had never even dreamed of. At the end of the stairs a huge hall awaited her, which made the main corridor almost look like a broom closet. At least three times the size extended directly in front of their astonished faces. The orange shimmer of the morning sun penetrated in a thousand facets through the no less large lead glass windows that ran along the sides. White marble columns, at least 100 of them, spread over their entire field of vision. With their mouths wide open, the newcomers marvelled at the building, which had great similarities with the interior of a monstrous cathedral. The ceiling formed into an incredible dome, which also consisted of innumerable glasses.

Icchan spread her arms and turned in circles as she shouted joyfully:

"Welcome to the Haven! Our divine sanctuary!"

Reina's eyes began to water, so overwhelmed was she by everything around her. Quickly she wiped the wet from her cheeks with her elbow. She couldn't believe what was stretching in front of her. Ayano grabbed the hem of Reina's sleeve. She thought the taller one wanted to tell her something, but when she looked at her, Reina realized that Ayano was just as moved as she was and felt as if she just had to hold on somewhere.

Kurumi stretched out her arm and pointed with her index finger to the end of the Haven.

"See the enormous double door. This is the entrance to the throne room. Every morning, lunch and dinner is eaten there."

Yuhane became clairaudient. Then she noticed with an ironic undertone:

"Throne room? Is there a king waiting for us?"

Kurumi laughed.

"Not quite."

Without going into detail, the two older ones led them directly to the leaf door. It was a gap wide open, but that was enough for hundreds of people to fit through. A lively flow of figures entered and left the so-called throne room.

Reina asked in wonder:

"Who are all these people?"

Icchan's face darkened a bit.

"Most of them are vessels."

Shiori faltered.

"Vessels?"

The Kenshuusei leader nodded.

"We call them that. They are empty shells, living dolls, if you will, who do nothing but follow their daily habits. These can be simple works for the maintenance of the castle," she looked at a small group of men and women carrying brooms and wipes, "or large tasks that serve a higher purpose."

Yuhane pulled her eyebrows together.

"What do you mean by higher purpose?"

Icchan's lips formed a narrow line before answering:

"I am not sure. Some of them carry weapons with them. They leave the castle for a while and reappear after weeks. Others remain gone forever. If you ask them, you only get to hear the same answers, nothing informative."

Kurumi took the floor from here.

"Among us Kenshuusei it is said that the vessels serve to advance in the later Rehab degrees. But none of the groups has ever confirmed this to us. However, it can also be that they are obliged to keep quiet in order not to distract us from things we shouldn't be preoccupied with yet".

Her round face formed a mysterious expression. Apparently she loved this detective game.

Reina looked at the different people around her. Meanwhile they were directly in the crowd and were literally driven by the flow. She understood why the Kenshuusei called these strange creatures dolls, shells or vessels. Their movements seemed emotionless. No impulses appeared in their faces. Their steps followed a rhythm that a normal person could never translate into such simultaneous perfection. Then it dawned on her.

"They lack a soul."

The Kenshuusei looked at Reina in surprise. She had only whispered the words, but the extent of the statement seemed to be pressed through the entire hall like a shock wave. Even some of the vessels turned around and stared at the group for a moment.

As they stepped through the large double door and finally reached the throne room, Icchan and Kurumi tried to direct the unpleasant subject to more joyful things. So their immediate focus was on the countless rows of tables and chairs scattered throughout the hall. Reina counted at least 50 of them before she finally gave up.

The tables were filled with an infinite number of dishes and drinks for a breakfast as varied as no one had ever experienced before.

The pure anticipation literally electrified the new arrivals, so that they did not notice that the two older ones had already stepped at one of the many tables. Only after several shouts did the 26th generation succeed in stepping up to the familiar faces. There sat Kiyono Momohime, Dambara Ruru, Kaga Kaede and some other people Reina didn't know.

With a broad grin Icchan pointed to the newcomers.

"May I introduce: The 26th generation of Kenshuusei!"

The eyes of the unknown people widened. Marvel and joy spread at the table. Some of them even stood up, grabbed the hands of the newcomers and gave them a slight bow.

"It's nice to have you with us."

The words came from the mouth of Maeda Kokoro, who almost crushed Reina's hand with her nervousness. She swallowed the pain impulse quickly.

So the introduction went around and they also got to know the other members of the Kenshuusei.

Those were Inoue Hikaru, Kanatsu Mizuki, Noguchi Kurumi, Ono Kotomi, Kodama Sakiko and Yonemura Kirara. They all greeted the newcomers warmly, and soon it was a harmonious cooperation at the breakfast table.

Reina first stayed out of the conversation and lost herself in the perfect enjoyment of the freshly baked rolls, the dough of which felt so fluffy that Reina would have loved to make a blanket out of it. There were a variety of different jams. After she had more than tasted the rhubarb strawberry jam, she tried a mix of quince jelly and apricot spread. And when she put cheese on top of the roll as a topping and brought the whole product to her mouth with a broad grin, she noticed that Ayano was watching her with astonishment.

"How can you eat THAT?"

Ayano's gaze was frightened at the bread roll in Reina's hand. The girl held the meal up in amazement to get to the bottom of the confusion. After a short test, Momohime, who sat next to Ayano and had noticed the event amusedly, had to laugh. Gasping for breath she panted out:

"She means the bun, you dummy! How can you put so much stuff on it at the same time."

Relieved, Reina laughed now too.

"Oh so, you mean that."

And without hesitation she bit the jam and cheese roll heartily. She smiled joyfully at the two girls sitting opposite, who watched the scenery with their faces distorted with disgust.

Suddenly, Inoue Hikaru addressed the fifteen-year-old.

"Tell me, Reina, what are your hobbies?"

Immediately everyone followed the conversation curiously. Reina, on the other hand, who quickly pressed her gullet down the big bite and almost swallowed herself, was shocked that she suddenly stood in the center of all attention.

"Um, I don't know. I don't think I have any."

To her amazement, Hikaru shook her head laughing.

"Yes, yes, you did!"

Kokoro jumped explaining to the confused Reina.

"You have to understand that unfortunately we don't know much about our past. That was already explained to you by Goto Maki, the way I heard it", the newcomers nodded to her, whereupon she continued, "That's why we don't have much to differ from each other. Only the personalities and our areas of interest let us be an individual here. For example, I love listening to music and doing karate."

Reina understood. She closed her eyes briefly and thought sharply. What did she like? What were her hobbies? Deep in her heart there was certainly an answer.

Then she opened her eyes and a smile appeared on her face.

"Instruments. I like to play instruments".

There were isolated Wow's and Ohh's and the Kenshuusei looked at her admiringly. Reina looked at the ceiling of the old building.

"I also like histories. Stories from the past. I want to know everything that happened before. I want to share it with others and hear what they think about it."

When Takase Kurumi heard this, she nodded mischievously to Reina:

"Then you'll like our library."

With joyful surprise Reina looked at her comrade, but was not able to answer any more. Instead, the huge double door suddenly moved. It opened almost completely under powerful and scratching noises. Suddenly all the people in the room stood up and turned their eyes to the entrance. Reina and the other newcomers hastily followed the example without knowing what to expect.

For a short period of time, the throne room was permeated by an attentive silence. But then Reina heard footsteps. Steps that became louder and louder. Until they finally manifested to a person who was the center of all attention.

It was a man. He was taller than any person who Reina had ever met. His gait had something majestic. His clothing also revealed that his sovereign appearance could not be a coincidence. The black silk jacket and the shimmering black trousers had high-quality materials. Reina estimated him to be in his mid-forties, but the most impressive thing about him was the massive aura he radiated. It was even more stunning than that of Goto Maki.

Reina's legs began to tremble, as they did then. As the man walked right past her table, it became almost unbearable for her. Shortly before she collapsed, Icchan laid a hand on her shoulder to calm Reina. Thankfully, she looked into the sweetly smiling face and it actually helped her.

As the man with the blowing nut-brown hair passed by, Reina breathed deeply. She just heard Shiori whispering in her direction.

"Who was that?"

Kurumi whispered carefully back.

"That was Tsunku, headmaster of the Rehab Academy and head of internal observation for Hello!Project Online. He's in charge here. He's also our mouthpiece to the real world."

Now that Tsunku was a few meters away, Reina looked after the mighty man. For a short moment there was an impressive silence. For several seconds Reina looked at him closely. She followed his walk through the crowd to his place at the top of the hall. On a rise there was a festively decorated table for the teachers, at the front of which stood a large chair, which in turn possessed great similarities to the throne of a king. Tsunku sat on this very throne.

Yuhane said mockingly:

"Hence the throne room. I understand. He seems to think a lot of himself, doesn't he?"

Reina, on the other hand, still kept looking at the impressive man. He nodded to Goto Maki, who was sitting two chairs away from him, and took a roll. Apparently the two had started a conversation.

Ayano quietly produced:

"He's creepy already, isn't he?"

While the other newcomers nodded to her, Reina continued to look at him without making any effort to avert her eyes. Marie gave her a worried look.

"What's wrong with you Reina? Does he scare you too?

Before the addressed one answered, she narrowed her eyes to slits to see more clearly what was going on at the teacher's table. She was the only one still standing. Shiori pulled her shirt to draw her attention.

But then Reina discovered it. Tsunku had just put on his roll of quince jelly and apricot spread. Then the cheese followed on top and finally the smug grin which revealed the anticipation for the coming pleasure.

Immediately Reina sat down, packed her own half eaten roll and bit it again heartily.

Shiori, Marie and Ayano watched her with boundless confusion. Before they could ask anything, Reina grinned at both ears and finally said:

"He can't be evil at all."


	7. The three Pillars of the Haven

After breakfast was over, all Kenshuusei made their way to their dormitories. Before they separated, Icchan warned them of a wooden clock on the wall of Kenshuusei headquarters, which was downstairs under the chambers. The dial indicated fifteen to nine.

"Hurry, your basic lesson begins in fifteen minutes. Our teachers don't like it at all when you're late."

Immediately all eyes of the 26th generation were uniformly on Yokoyama Reina. She stuttered to reply, but Icchan wouldn't let her speak.

"Go up to your dormitories. There, at the end of your bed, you'll find a metal chest for each of you. It contains clothes in your size for different occasions. Take your training clothes and keep them in the bags under your beds. Then you'll come down again. I'll take you to the classroom."

Without further ado, the newcomers immediately headed for the dormitories. Arriving at the top, each of them stepped towards the chest and opened it. Reina recognized many different shades of grey, green and black. She would have expected a little more colourfulness in her choice of clothes.

But as she wandered through the pieces, looking for the training gear, she noticed the high quality fabric. In the real world this would never have been possible. Expensive clothing. A monstrous fairytale castle. Premium food in almost infinite quantities.

All this was made possible by the virtual space they were in.

As she rummaged through the box, these thoughts went through her head. Finally she found the training set she was looking for. It consisted of a long grey sweatpants, two white socks with compression effect and a short-sleeved black T-shirt with the inscription 'Hello!Project Online'.

The outfit was very simple, Reina thought. Most likely it was just for the purpose of making comfortable movements and not to create distractions.

"Reina, go!"

The others were already waiting at the exit. Reina quickly packed all the necessary utensils into her bag, which was under her bed. The bag had also a dark grey tone with light blue stripes on the sides. The design clearly revealed that this bag was normally used by athletes.

After everything was packed, the 26th generation made their way to Icchan. She waved and gave them the signal to follow her.

Reina had a hard time remembering the branches and corridors, but the Kenshuusei leader reassured her by saying that after a few days they knew all the necessary paths by heart.

It didn't take long, in fact, and they were standing at the doors of their classroom. Icchan turned to the newcomers and smiled.

"So, here we are. I wish you lots of luck and fun with your first lesson. The teacher will explain everything else to you. See you later in the training session. Until then".

The six girls said goodbye thankfully and Icchan gave them a slight bow, which they all returned. After she had disappeared around a corner, the 26th generation looked at each other again with determination and then entered the classroom together.

As they looked inside the room, a strange intimacy wafted in Reina's mind. Her comrades seemed to feel the same way. They had been here before. This is the room where they first met.

Maybe all classrooms looked the same, Reina asked herself.

"You look right. This is the room where I introduced you to Hello!Project Online. Once again a warm welcome!"

The eyes of the newcomers instinctively wandered towards the podium on the other side of the room. Goto Maki stood there with a happy face.

Relief spread to Reina. She had hoped that her first lesson would be led by a familiar person. Even though Reina enjoyed meeting new people very much, she felt quite comfortable in the presence of her first acquaintance in the Haven.

Goto Maki instructed the six of them to sit in the front seats. After a little confusion and a lot of rustle Reina sat next to Ayano at a table. Yuhane had sat next to Shiori. And Marie joined Rin at her side.

The teacher folded her hands together and looked at her new disciples with an examining gaze. A soft smile adorned her face.

"I heard you had the pleasure of meeting a group yesterday. At least on a small part of it."

At the thought of yesterday and the meeting with ANGERME Reina felt a bit queasy. She could not yet imagine how she should be capable of such performances.

She felt the piercing aura of Goto Maki as she fixed Reina. The fifteen year old couldn't get rid of the feeling that the older one could read her mind. Above all the doubts.

"Don't let this discourage you. Otherwise you have already lost. Murota Mizuki, the person who attacked you, is not an evil person. Quite the opposite! She helps wherever she can and always seeks contact with her comrades. Sometimes", Goto Maki's face took on amused features, "she shoots a little over the target. But that's fine as long as nobody gets hurt."

The sharp scratching of a chair on the floor resounded through the room. Reina looked to the left. Yuhane had straightened up, bent over the table with both arms outstretched and Goto Maki staring excitedly.

"As long as nobody gets hurt?"

With a jerky gesture of her hand she pointed to the shocked Reina with outstretched index finger.

"If she hadn't avoided it so quickly, she would have been crushed by the blow of this Murota. The wall into which this lunatic crashed even crumbled. Reina would have been mashed by a hair's breadth."

Goto Maki clearly noticed Yuhane's angry words. But instead of answering, she focused all her attention on Reina. Slowly, she walked towards the young Kenshuusei. Her face had become unreadable. The eyes analyzed every single facet of the girl. Reina suddenly felt uncomfortable in her skin. How had she got into such a situation so abruptly?

Goto Maki bent over the table of Ayano and Reina and now came with her face very close to that of Reina. Her gaze seemed to pierce the deepest abysses of the soul, as if searching for something specific. Then she spoke with a thoughtful voice:

"Is that so? Murota attacked you with full force? And you dodged her? That is extremely interesting..."

Rin spoke from the side and asked anxiously:

"W-What's interesting, Mrs. Goto?"

The addressed person stayed with Reina for a short moment. Then she bowed her head to the youngest one and smiled again.

"It's all good", as she said that, she turned on the heel and stepped back to the desk, "A feeling tells me that your generation will accomplish great things".

Meanwhile she had let go of her sole focus on Reina and finally shone again on all newcomers equally. This caused Yuhane to sit down again. Goto Maki spoke cheerfully:

"But before you can do great things, you must first learn to deal with the little one. In the weeks to come, I'll give you an understanding of the theory behind our cornerstones."

She drew symbols in the air and already the screen was shining like yesterday and suddenly showed a picture out of nowhere.

Reina recognized a kind of triangle. At the respective corners letters were to be seen. 'C'. 'E'. 'M'. What did that mean?

The teacher seemed to have seen through the thoughts of her students in no time:

"If you remember what I told you yesterday, then you can surely tell me what is depicted here."

Goto Maki looked around with an impressive face. They all seemed petrified. Only Yuhane answers after a short silence:

"Clarity. Energy. Mind. The cornerstones of the Haven. Isn't it?"

Goto Maki once clapped her hands loudly and grinned.

"Very good! That's exactly right."

With a flick, the triangle changed into a straight line by connecting all three sides. The 'E' and the 'M' formed the respective ends of the line, while the 'C' was placed directly above the middle of the line.

The teacher's eyes wandered from one student to the next. Then she explained:

"In the Haven we live by these three virtues. The knowledge of the mind, as I have mentioned before, is my specialty, teaches you not to conflict with your inner being, your soul, and to draw your strength from it. All mental abilities that this world enables you to have can be controlled, manipulated and even expanded by your mind. If you are in total harmony with yourself, it will be no problem for you to do spiritual miracles, and thus provide your group, and ultimately yourselves, with the support that is needed. Selflessness, caring and empathy play a big role in clearing your mind."

As she spoke, the 'M' shimmered brighter than the other two letters. With a wipe of her hand, Goto Maki stopped the glaring glow. Instead, the 'E' began to radiate a strong light.

"Next, we talk about the knowledge of energy. This pillar is far more tangible than mind or clarity. Perhaps at this very moment you are wondering why?”

The teacher was mischievous about the 26th generation. They exchanged confused looks. Goto Maki's eyes were now on Yuhane.

"Well, you spoke earlier about a crumbling wall..."

A loud crash frightened all students deeply. Ayano almost tilted from her chair, so shocked by the sudden action.

Goto Maki had clenched her fist without warning and smashed it against the wall. When she pulled it back, a brutal imprint was visible. Shattering wallpaper fibres fell to the ground in droves.

"To strain the body beyond its human limits and thus make the impossible possible, that is precisely the knowledge of energy. You will learn how to direct the forces of your outer shell in exactly the ways your consciousness dictates. Ultimately it is about the perfect and flowing control of your being. Be it to create brute force, to master filigree movements or to reach remote places quickly and safely without much effort, for example by high jumps or unspeakable speed."

Shiori hesitantly raised her hand. When Goto Maki nodded to her, she began to speak uncertainly:

"Will our bodies in the outside world be able to stand it at all? I mean... it's possible that our head isn't even able to process that kind of information, is it?"

The teacher nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right, Shiori. A too fast advancement of one's own physical condition could have a bad end for you. That is why you only learn the basics so that we can assess how advanced you are in dealing with the resources you have been given. After each Rehab grade you will be integrated into more and more complex learning structures. This should guarantee that your body in the real world has enough time to get used to it. Since this takes different lengths of time for each person, the progress in the Rehab grades also has a different duration for each of you."

Marie raised her hand as well, though quite anxiously.

"I-i-is it possible that the body will never get used to this world?"

Goto Maki hesitated briefly. Reina immediately realized what the terrible answer was. That's why she knew that Goto Maki would have preferred not to answer the question at all. But as a teacher she had to face the unpleasant:

"Yes. That is indeed possible. If this is the case and the supercomputer doesn't notice any progress, it will reject you, which would mean the abortion and the failure of the therapy for you."

They all had to digest this answer. But Goto Maki raised her hands in reassurance.

"Don't worry about it. Many years pass before the supercomputer makes such a serious decision. You have all the time in the world to prove what's inside you. You should never forget that."

The encouraging smile warmed Reina's heart. But not all of them seemed to share that. Marie stared at her table with a chalky face. The fifteen-year-old was very worried about her comrade.

Goto Maki, on the other hand, continued her lecture. The 'E' went out and instead the hour of the 'C' struck. It shone brighter and stronger than the other two before.

"Let us now come to the most important knowledge. The knowledge of clarity.

For a long moment there was silence in the classroom. No one said a word. The clouds in the sky cast mighty shadows through the room. The new Kenshuusei felt the electrifying crackling in the air.

Goto Maki's body vibrated slightly. An inconceivable power dwelt within her. Reina felt how every single membrane of the woman formed purest energy. For the second time that day, the young girl's legs began to tremble strongly. Why did she react so sensitively?

She looked around the room in a flash. In the meantime one could even perceive a slight tremor. The chairs and tables wobbled incessantly. Reina's comrades were totally spellbound by the scenery. Shock, fear, wonder and curiosity could be seen on their faces. But nobody seemed to share Reina's feelings. What was wrong with her? Could she even complete the therapy in this state? Was it already over before it had even begun? Reina did not want to admit that. That simply could not be.

Shortly before it became unbearable for the fifteen-year-old, Goto Maki let all energy disappear into nothingness. The quake. The wobbly chairs and tables. The bright light that came from the teacher. Everything was suddenly gone.

Reina breathed hastily. Her hands clawed into the edges of the table. Sweat dripped onto the wooden plate. Her face seemed like a waterfall.

The others, no less frightened, didn't notice how much the performance had caused their classmate to struggle. They all fixed the person in front of them with a staring gaze. Goto Maki slowly opened her eyes and smiled.

"What I just showed you was the natural interplay between mind and energy. To make such a combination it needs a strong, stable connection between the two forces. If you are able to make your soul and your shell understand each other, interact and communicate in harmony, then you have the greatest power you can gain in Hello!Project Online. The knowledge of clarity."

As she looked around, her eyes were once again caught by Reina for a few seconds. Apparently, she had noticed that the girl was having trouble processing what she had seen. Nevertheless, she continued her lecture unperturbed:

"In your basic Kenshuusei training, you will primarily learn how to deal with your mind and your energy. In most cases it is already clear what kind of type you are.

99.99% of all patients here cannot create absolute harmony between the two knowledge. Instead, they make sure that they fundamentally control one party and focus all their training on the other party to master it to the best of their ability.

It is human not to be equal in everything. Therefore, do not grieve if you cannot apply one knowledge to the same extent as the other."

Ayano, who had briefly cast a worried glance towards Reina, who seemed to breathe harder and harder, came forward.

"Why do we focus mainly on energy and mind? Is it not possible for us to gain knowledge of clarity?"

Goto Maki grinned smugly.

"Oh yes! Everything is possible! However, clarity itself is the balance between mind and energy. If you dedicate yourself to these two knowledges, you are also well on the way to getting a basic understanding of clarity."

The teacher respectfully lifted her finger.

"But there is one thing I do not want to hide from you. It is rarely the case that there are patients who have such powerful clarity that they can tickle out the full potential of mind and energy. Hardly any generation has such a unique talent in its ranks. Even among the groupings, a Master of Clarity is an incredible and unimaginable phenomenon. These special people we call 'Ace'."

The room was filled with excited murmur. Yuhane's eyes were widened to the extreme. One could always hear her whispering the same word to herself:

"Ace... Ace... Ace... "

Rin and Marie whispered excitedly. Shiori literally stuck to Goto Maki's lips.

Reina, on the other hand, had completely lost the focus of the conversation. Her lungs were burning. Her muscles were tense until they burst. She didn't feel well at all. On the contrary! It was like pressing a truck weighing tons onto the middle of her body.

For a fraction of a second the world stopped for her. Then her eyes flickered. Everything around her turned black. She heard a horrified scream in the distance. It was Ayano. A dull impact into the void followed. Silence. Silence. Silence.


	8. The Lounge

Urgent footsteps echoed through the corridor. Kamiko guessed that there had to be several people. Excited voices reached her ears.

"Continue! Go on! Quickly!"

The cat-like eyes of the little dark-haired person peered at the end of the corridor. Five presences were on highest alert and rushed directly towards her.

"Bring her to the Observer Room! Go! We must not lose any time!"

The shadowy figures formed clear outlines. Two men, obviously vessels, held a stretcher horizontally between themselves. On it lay a lifeless something. Goto Maki hurried ahead of them. Their commands sounded loud and forceful. She seemed extremely nervous. At the back two girls ran. They were Kenshuusei. Their horrified faces followed the scenery.

Kamiko's eyes suddenly narrowed into slits. She knew them both. These were the newcomers she had mixed up with Murotan and Rikako at the 'sightseeing tour'. Immediately her attention turned to the stretcher.

At the exact moment, as the column hurried past the ANGERME member, without even remotely noticing her, she caught a glimpse of the petite being. It was the young Kenshuusei who had defied Murotan. Her name was Yokoyama, thought Kamiko. Her skin was completely pale. She showed no sign of life. What had happened? Was she dead?

The group quickly moved away from Kamiko. Even as they walked around a corner of the aisle, you could still hear the command tone of Goto Maki and the spurred trudging of her companions for a long time.

Then it became quiet. The dark-haired girl stood on the spot for a while. Her eyes were directed into the distance. For a short moment she had to collect her thoughts.

Only when she had fully realized what had just happened her feet slowly began to move towards ANGERME headquarters. Second by second, their pace became faster and faster. Until she finally set off on a sprint that her comrades would have been proud of.

She chased through the corridors, turned sharply around every corner and opened door after door. Finally she was on the south side of the castle. Without further ado, she took four steps at a time on the spiral staircase. Jump after jump followed. And finally she reached her destination.

The space ANGERME had at her disposal was worth more than a quick glance. The _Lounge_ , as the members lovingly called it, was the first room to be seen when entering. Kamiko would most likely compare the interior to a penthouse suite in a luxury hotel in Las Vegas. The size of the room also corresponded to this idea. Here one could definitely endure a good time of the day.

The girl noticed the two people sitting at the bar in the middle of the Lounge on chrome stools and having lively discussions. Kamiko recognized them as Takeuchi Akari, short Take, and Nakanishi Kana, called Kananan.

The young woman with the round face, full lips and fiery red hair interrupted the conversation and turned to the newcomer. Her greeting was very loud.

"Kamikooo! Why do you open the door so stormy? We still have time until we leave."

For a short moment the addressed person was confused. Time? Leaving? Then it occurred to her again. ANGERME had received an order. They went to the outside world.

Immediately she shook her head fiercely.

"What? No. No! That's not it. I have to talk to Murotan. Do you know where she is, Take?"

Take scratched her head at the question. Then she jumped up from the stool. Her red hair was literally whirling through the air. Without hesitation she formed a funnel shape in front of her mouth with her hands and screamed in the direction of the hallway:

"MUUUUUUROOOOOOTAAAAAAAAN! KAMIKO WANTS 'SOMETHING FROM YOU!!!"

The smaller girl was completely frightened. Even after half a year, she hadn't got used to the volume inherent in the ANGERME house. The black-haired girl with the wavy, shoulder-length hair called Kananan laughed heartily.

"Take, I think you scared the hell out of our little one. Besides, you're yelling like a gorilla."

The redhead immediately whirled around her own axis and stared at Kana in shock.

"Whaaaat? I'm not a gorilla, am I?"

But in the meantime Kana had also sat up. At least if you could have called what she did 'sat up'. She had turned her right arm so strangely that her hand touched her right armpit. The other hand she led to her mouth, which she in turn formed into an exaggerated kissing mouth. With her forefinger and middle finger she began to flick her lips and produced a strange, childish bubbling. She bent far forward and shouted with a deep voice:

"Mu-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-urotan! Kamiko-uh-uh-uh-uhh-uh wants 'something from you! Uh! Uh! Uh!"

The monkey-like noises and the corresponding movements Kananan could imitate excellently. And even if Take didn't sound a bit like it, it was always worth a laugh. Kamiko even forgot for a short moment why she was so excited. Instead she burst out laughing.

Take looked feigned desperately from one to the other. Until she finally joined in the laughter herself.

"Hey! What kind of party are you having? I want to be happy too. Tell the joke again."

Murotan had stepped into the Lounge and stared at them with big, enthusiastic eyes. The girls turned to the chaos queen, including Kananan with her monkey choreography. At this sight the brown-haired girl pressed her hand on her stomach and pointed with tears in her eyes at the 'actress'.

"Ha ha ha! The perfect Take imitation! Brilliant, Kana! Not even Take herself could play herself as well as you do."

Again Take scratched her head to realize what Murotan had said, while the others were already lying on the floor and hitting the wooden planks with their fists. Then she opened her eyes.

"HÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄH? Wait a minute... !"

It took a few minutes until everything had calmed down again. Only when the last tears were wiped from their faces they sat down together at the bar. Take distributed four glasses and poured fresh orange juice into each one. Murotan thanked and made a gulp. Then she looked into the round.

"So, now say already. Why did you call me? Is there something important?"

Instead of answering, Take and Kananan looked carefully at Kamiko. She suddenly remembered what she had seen before. She swallowed hard before she spoke.

"The little Kenshuusei of yesterday. The one you chose..."

Murotan smiled broadly.

"Oh yes, she was funny. We were supposed to visit her again today at the training session unannounced. Icchan would probably kill us, but no matter, it would be funny and..."

But while she was still chatting, she noticed that something was wrong. Kamiko's eyes looked wet and her face had taken on fearful features. Murotan's joy slowly subsided.

"What's the matter? Why are you pulling such a wry face?"

Even Take and Kananan, who had been silent so far, turned their full attention to Kamiko. She clawed her fingers at the table and broke out in horror:

"I've seen her. This Yokoyama! I think she had a seizure!"

Murotan's grin was now completely frozen. An eerie silence spread. The three girls sitting opposite Kamiko had their eyes wide open. Such a news was a shock for everyone.

Murotan tried to order their thoughts.

"How? When? What happened? Someone with her potential can't just..."

Kamiko shook her head desperately.

"I don't know. On the way here they passed me. There she lay motionless on a stretcher. You should have seen the faces of the other Kenshuusei. White as chalk! Something unforeseen must have happened."

The addressed person slowly got up. This information had to be processed by both her brain and her stomach. With thoughtful steps she walked thoughtfully through the room. The looks of the others accompanied her as if in a trance.

Then, although she was still turned away from the group, Murotan asked:

"Are the other newcomers all right?"

Kamiko frowned and thought. Finally she came to the conclusion that she had no idea how the other Kenshuusei were doing.

"I don't know. The two companions looked unscathed."

Suddenly the door of ANGERME headquarters opened. Immediately everyone turned there. Goto Maki quickly walked into the Lounge. Her analytical eye was first on Kamiko, then on the other three group members. The depressed mood in the room already gave her an idea of what the topic was. She immediately lost her austere face and warm words were directed at Kamiko.

"I'm sorry we ran past you so disrespectfully earlier, Kamikokuryo. We were in a hurry. And I see you could, smart as you are, put one and one together."

Before the young girl was able to answer, Murotan took the chance to speak.

"Mrs. Goto, what happened? How is she? Where is she?"

The teacher raised her arms reassuringly and then pointed to a bar stool.

"Calm down. The best thing is to sit down. We have to talk anyway. That's why I'm here."

Somewhat stubbornly Murotan returned to her place. Meanwhile Kana addressed the word to Goto Maki.

"Has it ever happened before that a newcomer collapsed right on the first day of her therapy? The Observer would never have chosen her if she had such a weak body, would he?"

Take had meanwhile offered the older woman her place next to Murotan. She accepted gratefully and at the same time answered thoughtfully:

"You're right, Nakanishi. It is impossible for the Observer to make such a mistake. I don't know of any case in which a Kenshuusei was eliminated on the very first day. That's really a novum."

Murotan nervously tapped her fingers on the tabletop.

"Now you're finally telling me what the current situation is. Don't keep us on the tenterhooks like that."

But instead of answering, Goto Maki suddenly looked interested at the youngest one at the table.

"What's your impression, Kamikokuryo? Do you think she has a chance?"

The person she was talking to retreated completely perplexed with her face. Kamiko hadn't even remotely expected HERSELF of all people to make a diagnosis.

"Uh... uh... I... uh..."

Take boxed her surprisingly on the arm.

"Don't be so nervous! We all know that you have something on the ball."

The black-haired girl was silent for a moment and looked panically from one person to the next. They all smiled encouragingly at her. That only made her more tense.

Somewhat cramped she narrowed her eyes and brought the image of Yokoyama's lifeless body back into her memory. It was this one moment. The second she gained complete insight.

She felt the weak life energy surrounding the young Kenshuusei. The flow of clarity directed Kamiko's consciousness into the girl's interior.

Heartbeat. Normal.

Brain waves. Normal.

Cellular development. Normal.

Balance between body and soul. Normal.

Suddenly she opened her eyes. A wondrous, intoxicating feeling accompanied her.

"She is well. She will completely recover... I think."

Goto Maki grinned broadly and gave Kamiko an appreciative look.

"You don't need to doubt. I'm sure you're absolutely right."

Kananan and Take clapped each other's hands with joy and immediately performed a jubilee dance. Murotan gave a deep sigh and touched her heart.

"Wow! That was the biggest shock this month. Another message like that and I'll have a seizure myself."

The teacher turned her attention amused to the chaos queen.

"You seem to be putting quite a lot of focus on this newcomer. The 26th generation arrived only yesterday."

Now that the situation was no longer quite so tense, Murotan leaned back a little and answered in a dignified manner:

"That may be so. But there were some very interesting characters in it."

Goto Maki now posed thoughtfully by pointing her index finger and thumb at her chin.

"While we're on the subject," her sharp gaze pierced the surprised Murotan without warning, "why did you attack the newcomers with such force? That's usually not your style. I even heard that Kaga had to stop you, otherwise little Yokoyama wouldn't have been with us yesterday."

Embarrassed, the caught girl scratched her back and grinned uncertainly.

"Well, I don't really know what I was ridden. I just wanted to frighten the newcomers, but then I felt such a fascinating presence in their midst. I just couldn't miss the opportunity."

Now it was Goto Maki who leaned back, smugly.

"And you think that this 'fascinating presence' was Yokoyama?"

Murotan laughed.

"Who knows. There were some cool guys there. This Yamazaki Yuhane should also be watched. She is a bit of all right, huh?"

Her winking gaze looked for confirmation from Kamiko, who nodded in agreement.

Without further ado Goto Maki stood up and addressed further words to Murotan.

"I have the feeling that you are hiding something from me", but although this was a reproachful remark, the teacher smiled, "But I think that I can trust you completely in this matter".

The addressed girl saluted and replied with a grin:

"You can, Mrs. Goto!"

Also laughing, the older woman walked to the door and turned around one last time. She looked around resolutely. Finally her eyes got caught on Kamiko, whereupon she said:

"Don't doubt yourself so much. You are something special. For ANGERME. For our entire academy. Don't forget that!"

The young girl stuttered a 'thank you' and before the group knew it, Goto Maki had already disappeared.

Immediately Take hit Kamiko's back hard with the palm of her hand, so she was thrown a bit forward with a surprised expression on her face.

"Man, Kamikokuryo Moe! You seem to be becoming one of the teachers' favorites. You're on a good way!"

With a twitching eye, the tormented girl looked at the redhead.

"Probably not. Yoshiko kills me every time I forget one of her choreographies."

Kana smiled motherly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. After all, you impressed Goto Maki. That means something."

Before the younger one could say anything, all attention suddenly turned to the hallway. Somebody stood there.

The figure pressed her arms close to her body and had her hands folded into each other. Uncertainly, she gently waddled from one leg to the other. Her face looked so young and innocent. The long, brown hair was tied into a plait and fell over the girl's left shoulder.

"Momonaaaaa!"

Take's roar broke through the moment. The cheerful nature with the fiery red hair stepped with big steps to the newcomer.

"This is really great that you leave your room sometime. You don't want us to have all the fun on our own, do you?"

The person was visibly nervous and didn't know how to react. Looking for help she turned her attention to Kamiko. The adressed one vehemently avoided eye contact and instead looked at a purple beanbag in the corner of the Lounge.

Kana noticed this, smiled shaking her head and walked towards the new girl as well.

"Kassa, would you like to go to the castle park with Take and me before we leave?"

The girl named Kassa was immediately on fire.

"Oh yes! Gladly!"

Take grinned broadly.

"Well then, let's go!"

Without changing words, Take pressed her hand on Kassas back and pushed her towards the exit. Kana followed her. As she ran out, she winked at Kamiko mischievously.

The black-haired girl breathed deeply and then put her frustrated forehead on the tabletop. Murotan laughed and flicked her finger against Kamiko's shoulder.

"Oh man, that could be something with you two. You're having a hard time taking responsibility for her even though you're her mentor."

Kamiko closed her eyes disappointed.

"I just have no idea how to behave as a Senpai. As soon as Kasahara appears, I only have the feeling that I want to leave quickly. I can't get rid of the feeling that she's here because of me."

Murotan raised her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

Kamiko sighed.

"The teachers criticize me so often. I totally screwed up my first missions and almost put you in danger. The Observer is probably already looking for a replacement for me. And apparently he found it."

Murotan clapped her forehead, then she put her arm around Kamiko's shoulder, grinning.

"You really are a dumbass, you know that?"

Surprised, the girl stood up and looked at the chaos queen in amazement. Murotan flicked her finger again and winked, like Kana did before.

"You are a part of ANGERME! There's no substitute for anyone here!"

Without knowing exactly why, Kamiko seemed to cheer up these decisive words. And slowly the smile stepped back into her face.


	9. In the Observer Room

Unpleasant noises reached the ears of Yokoyama Reina. A loud drilling. Shrill sounds. Different, excited voices of women and men.

White fog surrounded the girl. Her field of vision was blurred. She rubbed her eyes in panic, but her vision remained unclear.

Reina wanted to scream, but no sound came from her lips. Instead she gesticulated wildly with her arms. No reaction. The voices in the distance ignored any attempt by her to make herself felt.

She ran. Everything around her swirled in bright colors. Nothing wanted to get closer. Nothing moved away. Reina felt as if she was in an infinite sphere of complete emptiness.

Suddenly she stopped. Abrupt nausea overcame the young Kenshuusei. Groaning and panting she bent over her knees. Her choking echoed through the mixture of colours and clouds. Finally the whole environment began to rotate around the girl. Faster and faster. Her eyes could not stand this madness.  Reina wanted to call for help. But her throat was tied up. She was in the eye of a whirlwind of wobbling shreds of fog and various shades of red, blue and green that tried to smother her.

Feeling the absolute powerlessness, she finally fell to her knees...

A dull impact and sudden silence were the first things Reina realized. She bent over something hard wooden. Her hands palpated a square, no, cube-shaped object. Then she noticed that she was lying on soft material. A mattress. A bed!

Slowly her gaze cleared up. After a short time, the shimmering light of the newly discovered room bundled into a dimmed lighting on the ceiling. Outlines formed into white-grey walls and three to four bed frames. The cube on which she propped herself was a small bedside table. Reina was in a kind of hospital room.

Confused, the dark-haired woman looked around more closely. Her eyes had regained their usual focus. Immediately the panicked feeling of near blindness diminished. Instead, curiosity grew in her. What had happened to her? Had that just been a dream? And if so, why did she dream such strange stuff? All these questions shot into her head bit by bit. She remembered being in the classroom last. Goto Maki had introduced them to the three pillars of the academy and then... ? Yes, then what actually?

"Re-Reina"?

Slightly shocked, she turned to the voice that surprisingly crossed over from the other side of the bed. There were, sitting on two metal chairs, Kawamura Ayano and Nishida Shiori. Their chalky faces spoke clear volumes. They stared at their comrade as if she were a ghost.

Ayano got up immediately and walked around the sickbed. Only now did Reina notice that she was still holding the bedside table spasmodically. The taller one grabbed her shoulders, lovingly supported her and then gently pushed her back into bed. Reina felt more than weak and insecure. It was a strange feeling. Even if she had wanted to, she would not have been able to resist Ayano.

Shiori, however, leaned over the bed on the other side and thus over Reina. After her worried looks the logical question followed:

"How are you, Reina?"

The interviewee closed her eyes briefly and gathered strength. The quiet inhalation and exhalation did her good. Then, as her gaze turned to Shiori, she answered:

"Better than anything that had happened before..."

Scared, Reina faltered. Her voice was a single cawing. A stabbing pain twitched through her throat.

Ayano understood immediately and brought her a jug of water. Her companion thanked her with a quick nod, then took the jug and drank. And drank. And drank. Until nothing was left. Immediately her spirits were awakened as the cool wet flowed down her throat. Finally the familiar smile crept back onto the face of the cheerful nature. Even though it was weak, it was still a reassuring sight.

Shiori as well as Ayano sighed equally relieved. Apparently Reina was fit again for the time being. On the other hand Reina became curious.

"What actually happened?"

Shiori was immediately excited.

"We should ask you that!

Ayano nodded to the younger one agreeing and explained hastily:

"When Mrs. Goto demonstrated the knowledge of clarity, you suddenly began to tremble violently. Before I could react, you collapsed lifelessly and hit the ground. I am sorry. I should have caught you. I was not aware... I..."

Reina shook her head with a smile.

"You don't have to worry about it. I am grateful to both of you that you are here."

Still worry surrounded the facial features of her two comrades. Shiori was about to ask another question when they heard a throb at the door of the room. Irritated, all three turned towards the sound. Shortly after, one person stepped inside.

Shiori sucked the air in sharply. Ayano bibbered fearfully. Reina dropped her jaw in amazement.

At the door stood the man who had left such a striking impression in the throne room. The headmaster of the Rehab Academy, Tsunku.

He looked at each of them insistently. But when he realized that the Kenshuusei didn't know how to deal with this encounter, a friendly smile stepped on his face.

"Thank you both for taking such loving care of Miss Yokoyama."

His sudden bow to Ayano and Shiori surprised the girls. Shocked, they returned the gesture. Then Tsunku asked:

"May I take the right to speak to Miss Yokoyama alone?"

It took a short moment before the two of them realized what they were being asked. When Tsunku, expecting an answer, looked at them patiently, the Kenshuusei took a hasty bow a second time and said goodbye to Reina. Then they quickly walked towards the exit and stepped outside, not without throwing another doubtful glance at the tall man.

Tsunku quietly closed the door and walked to one of the metal chairs where Reina's confidants had been sitting a few minutes ago. He sat down in a strangely lanky way.

The young girl watched him closely. Her thoughts literally exploded. She just couldn't figure out what the headmaster was doing here. But she did not dare to ask the crucial question.

Tsunku, on the other hand, who took a few deep breaths, already seemed to know what the new academy student was thinking about.

"Your very first day and already you are preparing us to worry, Yokoyama Reina. With what was going on inside of you, it was bound to happen that we would meet sooner rather than later, don't you think?"

The man gave her an amused look. His relaxed posture had a calming effect on Reina. She asked out freely:

"What happens to me? Since yesterday I have had these strange convulsions and dizzy feelings all the time. Am I not suitable for therapy?"

Tsunku did not answer immediately. It seemed difficult for him to find the right words. His eyes roamed the room, slid to the ceiling and finally they attached themselves again to Reina. A loving smile surrounded his lips.

"No, don't worry, your therapy is not in danger. Quite the opposite! You seem to be an extremely strong patient."

Reina called promptly:

"But then what is it? Whether in the company of Goto Maki or yours... Mr. Tsunku..."

Tsunku interrupted her immediately.

"Let's stay without the 'Mr.'. I don't like the authority track very much, even though I don't like being yelled at by my students."

He winked at the girl. She held the palm of her hand in front of her mouth, frightened. She had understood the light tip against her loud tone. Tsunku laughed because of Reina's reaction. Finally he spoke:

"It was a decent piece of work to find out what was wrong with you. Even here, in the _Observer Room_ , it took us a whole hour to get to the bottom of the source of your torment."

Reina looked confused.

"O-Observer Room?"

Tsunku pointed to the surrounding sick room.

"Yes, at the moment we are in the analysis center of our supercomputer, disguised as the emergency ward of a hospital. We chose this facility to simulate a familiar but sterile environment for the patients who stay here. Whoever came up with this stupid idea can hardly be said today. It was probably me."

The cheerful grin and the laughter lines on his eyes made him likeable for Reina. She felt a wondrous feeling of familiarity in his presence. So she asked without hesitation:

"What kind of room is this? Why am I here?"

The headmaster bent forward and folded his hands before answering.

"You must first understand what was going on inside you. You had a so-called seizure.

Reina frowned, but Tsunku continued:

"A seizure in our world means losing control of mind and body. In the worst case this can even be fatal. So you were very lucky.

Normally you learn the basics of our knowledge. Little by little you will gain the knowledge of your mind and your body. You broaden your horizon with every day that passes until you finally discover the power of Hello!Project Online: The communication with your own soul and the energy of the fleshly".

The man took a short break to give Reina time to understand what was being said. Then he continued:

"Actually, the Kenshuusei start from zero when they start their therapy. Nevertheless, there are cases from time to time", Tsunku nodded to the girl meaningfully, "in which a certain strength already shows itself in advance. One could call these cases 'early developers'."

Reina understood clearly nothing. This was probably also reflected in her face, because the headmaster had to laugh again when he looked at her.

"You, Yokoyama Reina, are such an 'early developer'. This means that you, up to certain limits, already know how to use your energy and your mind. However, you have not yet mastered the element of clarity in any way. That is why there is neither balance nor control in you."

The dark-haired one swallowed hefty. She hesitantly replied:

"But how can I exercise control if I don't know how to do it? And when it is shown to me, I immediately fold up again."

Tsunku's face took on confident features. His tone also revealed that he already had a solution.

"It is rarely the case that the concentration of mind and energy expresses itself as strongly as it did with you. This only shows that your potential is immense. Therefore, much earlier than is normal for members of this academy, we will instruct you in the knowledge of clarity."

Reina raised her eyebrows irritatedly.

"But I thought that Kenshuusei would not be trained in this teaching?"

The headmaster nodded.

"That's right. But with you we make an exception. Actually, knowledge of clarity does not require direct training. It develops together with attaining the other two pillars because it is the balance between them. The higher one stacks one's knowledge of mind and energy, the higher logically the clarity positions itself. But this only happens if one consciously attains this knowledge. In your case, it is both a blessing and a curse that your abilities have formed themselves without your direct involvement."

The girl asked:

"Mr. Tsu-... um... Tsunku, what do you mean by that?

Her opposite one scratched his cheek thoughtfully.

"Let's put it this way, you already have a definite knowledge advantage, which you are not even aware of yet. When we implant this consciousness in you, you make a huge leap forward in this academy."

The Kenshuusei truncated at this announcement.

"What happens to me if I don't live up to it? What if I don't manage to bring my body and mind into harmony?"

For a short moment there was nothing but the silence in the sick room. Finally Tsunku stood up, gently touched Reina's shoulder with his right hand and spoke determinedly:

"Never be afraid of your own strength. It is your instrument which you will master to play".

With the last words Reina's eyes widened. Had he chosen these words consciously? He could not have imagined that they would trigger such feelings of happiness in Reina. Or do he?

Before she could reply, Tsunku stepped towards the exit. On the way there he looked at the clock above the door and happily said:

"It's already thirteen o'clock. Unfortunately we both missed lunch. Too bad about the nice dessert. There would have been peach sorbet. Well, so be it. Get some rest and then I hope to hear about your activities with your comrades."

With his index finger he pointed to an object at the end of Reina's bed. She looked at the object in amazement. It was her training bag.

The man had already stepped outside when he called to her:

"In two hours you must be in the training hall. Don't be late."

And with these last words he had finally disappeared.


	10. Kaga Kaede

While the training, which the newcomers had attended the day before, seemed quite harmonious and beautiful under the command of Icchan, it left a completely opposite impression on the 26th generation when they did their own exercises. The first joy of the reunion with Reina and the excitement of finally getting started quickly yielded to sweat, shortness of breath, coordination problems and constant painful collisions after unrhythmic movements.

The new Kenshuusei had serious problems to fit into the rhythm of the more experienced ones. Reina noticed how she was consistently one step too late. The constant changes of tempo and direction did the rest.

But none of this would have been tragic at all if it hadn't been for one particular person monitoring the training: Mitsubachi Maki.

Sharing the same name with Goto Maki and the fact that they were teachers at the Academy already described all the similarities between the two mentors. Every other characteristic that Mitsubachi Maki possessed could not remotely be more different than the friendly, graceful and positive Goto Maki.

Her personality could best be illustrated with a swarm of bees. She worked efficiently, purposefully and did not waste any time with trifles. However, if something did not go as she liked to see it, or if a Kenshuusei often fell out of line in a conspicuously negative way, then woe betide her. Reina had never met anyone at this academy before who found such hard, demotivating and unpleasantly honest words as Mrs. Mitsubachi did. Therefore the girl found the comparison with the swarm of bees quite fitting. Should the teacher be angered, every single one of her tortures felt like painful stings.

"Faster! Faster! Slow down! Faster! Where are you with your thoughts? This is not a funny sports day. Your life is at stake if you don't even get such simple movements into your head."

The bossy calls of the teacher echoed through the training room. All Kenshuusei members were extremely eager to follow the tough demands. Even the pity of the older comrades was limited. Although they definitely noticed that the newcomers were neither physically nor mentally fit enough to copy their movements in time, they didn't seem to make any effort to slow down. They put all their energy into training.

A loud bell sounded. Mrs. Mitsubachi had struck strongly against a bronze bowl with the fan in her hand, which served to set the beat. That was the sign of a fifteen-minute break.

Moaning and groaning, the new Kenshuusei let themselves fall to the ground right where they had just stood. Shiori leaned backwards on her arms, lowered her head to the back and looked at the ceiling with a sweaty face. Her breathing was unspeakably heavy.

"What... kind... of... therapy... is... this... please? Mercy..."

Gasping for breath words came throatily out of her mouth. Little Rin even lay down completely, arms and legs stretched far from her, on the cool plain.

"I don't want any more. It should stop. My whole body is burning".

Reina, Ayano and Marie did the same as her. Even Yuhane showed first signs of weakness. She had pulled her legs to her body, put her elbows on her knees and buried her head in the palms of her hands. Only the shiny forehead could be seen.

Maeda Kokoro came over to them. She, too, seemed to be slightly tired, but her physical condition seemed to be from another world, the tormented ones thought in silence.

"How are you? Are you still holding out? The first days are the hardest. After that it will get better, believe me."

No newcomer answered her. Talking needed energy. And none of them had energy. Maeda scratched her head again, embarrassed. It was a small trademark of her. As if she had to apologize for something every time.

"I hope you don't hold it against us that we don't take consideration of you. Otherwise Mrs. Mitsubachi would give us hell."

Marie gave her a reproachful look.

"This woman only likes to torture people. Why do you let yourself be so harassed by her."

Surprised at this statement Maeda shook her head.

"No, no! These are the methods of Mrs. Mitsubachi. She's a nice person in herself."

Rin wiped the sweat off her nose and said in an angry beep:

"Methods? Nice? She is the devil! I don't want any more. That's too much."

Yuhane lifted her head slightly. Only her eyes were visible behind her arms. These were urgently directed at Maeda.

"It would be easier if you would show us what we are doing wrong. Stubbornly trying to imitate you is not profitable. I don't like to admit it, but I don't think much of the teacher's 'methods' either. She still puts us in our grave."

Suddenly Takase Kurumi joined the participants and took a close look around.

"The highest rule in the Haven is: Don't talk badly about your mentors. Hold them in honour. They're all here to help you. Mrs. Mitsubachi may be very strict, but her training has already produced many great talents for the groupings. Besides, you want to catch up with us as fast as possible. If you give up on the first day and don't even get it past us, how do you want to get a positive assessment from the Observer?"

A lively discussion followed. None of the newcomers wanted to see that this torture should really be a help.

Reina followed the debate quietly. Her body was not yet at one hundred percent. She felt that. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed to her that her movements were inhibited. Probably these were still the aftereffects of her seizure. She was definitely supposed to be careful not to let something like this happen to her again. She also had to admit, for better or for worse, that the training was actually more than hard. After being personally told by the headmaster that her skills had already developed by itself, she thought that she could quickly catch up with the older Kenshuusei. But now they were already practicing for two hours and every step, every move and every single change of direction was far too late or wrongly done by her.

The fifteen-year-old reached her lowest point when she accidentally stabbed Shiori in the eye during a spontaneous backward movement, proclaiming a five-minute forced break and getting an angrily reprimand by Mrs. Mitsubachi. Reina didn't feel at all special at that moment. But she did not want to be overcome by frustration.

Suddenly she fixed a single person. It was the girl with the short hairstyle named Kaga Kaede. Unlike all the other Kenshuusei, she hadn't gone into a sitting or otherwise relaxed position to enjoy the break. Instead, she had stepped in front of the big mirror and watched herself as she made the movements she was practicing. This self-sacrificing conscientiousness to strive for greater things impressed Reina.

With a jerky movement she stood up and interrupted the shocked Kurumi, who had just begun a longer talk about respect and companionship.

"Reina, that it is what I exactly mean when..."

But the girl with the shoulder-length, dark hair ignored her. Her entire concentration was on Kaedi. Slowly she stepped up to the diligently training girl. The older one paid no attention to the newcomer.

Reina smiled shyly.

"Can... Can you show the movements you just made again?"

The person addressed stopped irritatedly. With a frowned forehead she turned to the smaller person. The fixed gaze met large, hopefully shimmering eyes. Kaedi's corner of her mouth cramped.

"Um... of course... wait..."

Completely surprised by the innocent looking Reina Kaedi took the starting position of her fight choreography.

With her left fist she punched powerfully forward. Immediately followed a U-turn to the back. During the turn, the foot positions changed abruptly to ensure a firm stand. Then there was a kick. Finally two fast strokes again. A light push with the upper body. And another turn.

Because the older girl didn't know how much she was supposed to show, she took a quick look at her young companion in the middle of it. Then her eyes widened.

Reina hadn't just watched. She had tried to follow Kaedi's nimble movements in fractions of a second. But she failed and sweared quietly.

It wasn't just about simply imitating the sequences. Both physical balance and razor-sharp concentration were necessary to create the required tension. Mrs. Mitsubachi had mentioned at the beginning that in this world it is possible to shift whole mountains with one's body. It remains to be seen whether this is an exaggerated portrayal of the fact that one achieves great power with increasing energy and technique.

The girl with the short hair stopped her own movements, but the younger one immediately straightened her head and focused it on her.

"Please repeat it for me again."

Shaking her head, Kaedi went back to her position. She repeated the exercise, but this time she kept an eye on Reina from the beginning.

And in fact the little one tried to follow the steps as perfectly as possible. She did not succeed. But Kaedi had to admit that Reina improved from try to try. The flame of ambition was literally palpable inside the newcomer.

Reina bowed.

"Thank you for coaching me."

Perplex the older Kenshuusei stared at her counterpart.

"Coaching? I'm not practicing with you at all. You only asked me if..."

But Reina did not respond to her words. Instead she spoke:

"Could you repeat the movements again?"

Stunned, Kaedi took a step back. What was wrong with that girl? Was she still completely out of her mind? Slightly upset, she answered:

"Are you kidding me? I'm not a videotape that you can play back on demand."

But Yokoyama Reina still smiled as innocently and unyieldingly as ever.

"No. I don't want to kid you. Please repeat these movements for me. That would be very kind.

The older one could not surround herself with this situation. Therefore, and since she wanted to do the training for herself anyway, she gave in to the wish.

Secretly she watched her companion during the training, who became better and better. Meanwhile Reina managed to keep up with Kaedi almost synchronously. She felt how she was unintentionally impressed.

When they had finished the first sequences, Reina jumped happily, with her fist ahead, into the air and cheered. She was happy that she could follow her mentor.

Kaedi looked at her emotionlessly. All of a sudden, furrows formed under her eyes and she said.

"Why are you so happy? You now master a simple step sequence. Nothing more. You are still so far away from learning the really important things."

But the minds of the younger one still radiated pure happiness.

"That's good. That means you can still teach me so much. I definitely want to get better. Better than all the others."

The last remark was spoken with fullness of motivation that Kaga couldn't help looking at Reina surprised for a few seconds. But then she regained her composure and her stubborn features returned.

"You want to be better than everyone? Someone as naive and stupid as you will not even be able to join a group. No matter how diligent you are."

That had been done. Kaedi didn't want to be so hurtful, but she was an honest person. For a short moment there was silence.

In the meantime the other Kenshuusei had joined them. Icchan gave Kaga a reproachful look. Kurumi had laid her hand compassionately on Reina's shoulder, whose face lay hidden in the shadow. You couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling after those words.

Just as the Kenshuusei leader was about to put her foot down, Reina raised her head. A laugh surrounded her lips.

"Let's be friends."

A complete shock spread through the hall after all those present realized Reina's words. Yuhane clapped her hand in front of her face. Shiori had her eyes and mouth open as never before. The older Kenshuusei swayed between embarrassing touch, pinched laughter and stunned expressions.

All eyes were fixed on Kaedi. How would she react to such a presumptuous response. Surely she would take Reina to pieces. It couldn't be any different.

Nobody moved. Kaga herself seemed petrified. Some weren't even sure if she was breathing at all.

The squeaking of the hall doors abruptly interrupted the bizarre scenario. Mrs. Mitsubachi entered and clapped her hands.

"It's time. We'll get right on with it. You still have an hour to go. Let's go!"

Kaedi immediately used the opportunity and fled out of the situation, took her place and turned her eyes stubbornly to Mrs. Mitsubachi. Ironically, it was Reina of all people who followed her without hesitation and, to the displeasure of the older one, placed herself right next to her. Her gaze was also focused on the teacher, accompanied by a playful grin.

The other Kenshuusei didn't know what to think of the whole action. They were still standing in a semicircle at the mirror watching the two protagonists of the incident.

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU IT WAS TIME TO GO ON, YOU SLEEPYHEADS?"

The assembled omes shocked and apologized in panic before finally taking their positions.


	11. The most powerful Grouping

Reina, Shiori, Yuhane and Ayano sat in the throne room and looked at pot roast with red cabbage and dumplings. They eagerly fell on the tasty food. Every single bite was a blessing for the hungry stomach.

Shiori gave a delightful squeak after she had taken a large piece of meat.

"Delicious! But we really deserved that."

Reina nodded her while grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"That's right! That's the first time I was allowed to go to lunch."

The others looked questioning for a short moment, then understood. Yuhane was the first to answer:

"It's been four days since our training started. It was really bitter for you that you had this seizure. Since then you had to go to the check-up every noon."

Reina scratched her head.

"After all, today's appointment was cancelled because Mrs. Goto was unable to come. That's why I can finally eat this great meal."

The glittering eyes streaked over the wide dining tables of the hall. Meanwhile Ayano leaned over to her and whispered quietly:

"What does Mrs. Goto actually do with you in these check-ups? You are sometimes away for hours and show up just before the start of the training sessions."

Reina's facial features took on an embarrassed expression.

"Oh well, they're looking for something in inside me. Something with mind and body and stuff. I don't understand that directly either. Um..."

The young girl was a horrible liar. With such statements she could not even have convinced herself, she thought quietly.

Fortunately Ayano left it there and the others were satisfied with this answer for the time being. Only Yuhane stared at her a few seconds longer than necessary. Reina quickly loaded a large portion of roast on her spoon and almost swallowed up.

As the attention was slowly diverted, the fifteen-year-old calmed down. She had been silenced by Goto Maki. She didn't like that at all. Lies just didn't stand up to her.

But the teacher had said that it could only be unpleasant among the Kenshuusei if Reina revealed that her powers had developed earlier than among the others. Once again the girl recalled the words of her mentor when she had taken her aside on the way home after the eventful first training day in the evening:

"It will be a hard time for you, but now we meet every day, after the theory lesson, at lunchtime, in the training hall. Then we have an hour or two before your actual training begins to bring you closer to the balance between body and mind. You will feel great exhaustion and pain in the evening, but you have to hold on. That is the most important thing!

And above all, under no circumstances should you tell your comrades what we are doing here."

Reina had looked at her in amazement and asked her:

"Why can't I tell them anything?"

Goto Maki then pulled her eyebrows up and put on a serious face.

"You already have a power that sets you apart from the others. And that even though you obviously haven't done anything for it yet. That won't put you in the right light for some ambitious competitors or comrades who train hard at the limit. For all of you, it's all about one thing: survival! So I can't say with certainty that each of the Kenshuusei is pure of heart and not begrudging you this massive advantage. It is best to hide the fact that you have already developed all the necessary powers so that you can live a normal life here."

The young girl had certain doubts:

"But doesn't it come to notice at some point when I already know skills in the exercises that go beyond the basics?"

But the teacher could calm her down with her mischievous smile:

"You just have to keep your head down for a few weeks, then your rapid progress won't matter. There are always Kenshuusei who learn faster than others. Either they recognize you as such. Or it could even happen that one of your comrades discovers her potential in the meantime and even competes with you. Then you wouldn't even be noticed anymore."

The smile of Goto Maki became wider.

"Besides, you shouldn't underestimate the basic training. I even assume, if you are not a natural, that you will have enough problems in the coming weeks to master the exercises of your new mentor. So you can trust me when I tell you that you won't be noticed. As long as you at least try a little hard not to talk yourself away."

Reina remembered the mischievous wink at the end of the conversation. Sometimes she had the feeling Goto Maki made fun of fooling around with the unsuspecting newcomers. But no doubt she was very helpful and self-sacrificing. She was also the one who rescued Reina and provided her with first aid when the girl had her seizure.

"What do you think about it, Reina?"

Shocked, the addressed one looked around. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even followed the topic that was currently at the table. Shiori looked at the dreamer expectantly. Reina stuttered:

"Uh-uh... what?"

Ayano reacted immediately with a slightly hasty undertone:

"Well, how long do you think we'll have to go through this terrible torture until Mrs. Mitsubachi finally stops treating us like slaves? We are already on our last legs."

Reina, who still looked a bit confused, answered with a whispering voice:

"I... uh... I don't think she's that bad."

Shiori's eyes stared at her excessively.

"What? You don't think she torments us?"

The fifteen-year-old mumbled thoughtfully:

" Of course I do... but... "

Ayano had now moved her face very close to Reina's face.

"What do you mean 'but'?"

The smaller one conjured up a charming smile and then said:

"Mrs. Mitsubachi certainly is so determined and inspired by the desire to make us better that she doesn't even notice that she sometimes goes over the top, doesn't she?"

Yuhane, who had been silent so far, joined in the laughter. Surprised, Shiori and Ayano turned to her. The girl with the pointed nose spoke:

"Of course, you can look at it that way. After all, she is a teacher and won't have gotten her job for nothing. I don't like her methods, but when she brings me into a group, I don't want to say anything."

No one could say anything to the contrary.

The four finished lunch and stepped into the huge hall with the mirror dome. Reina stretched out her arms and gave a loud yawn.

"I wish we could go to sleep now."

She felt the burning in her muscles. Due to the triple burden of theory, practice and additional lessons with Goto Maki, her whole body screamed out of fatigue. Every day she tried to carry it off well. Fortunately for her, the other newcomers had the same fate.

Ayano copied the movement of Reina.

"You said it, I don't feel like training at all."

They stomped merrily towards the training halls. Icchan had not lied. After only two days they knew the important connections of the corridors by heart. At least between dormitories, training halls, the classroom and the throne room, they were able to move relaxed without much fuss.

Shiori noted with concern:

"Hopefully Marie and Rin will make it in time. They seemed very powerless earlier. I don't know if it's a good thing they didn't eat."

Yuhane agreed with her.

"You're right. Going back to bed destroys the entire biorhythm of one's own body. I can't imagine that the resting phase will help them to get through the training. Hopefully they will hold out somehow."

Reina was worried about her two generation comrades. The dark haired woman felt Shiori's formulation 'powerless' was understated. Both Rin and Marie had almost been close to fainting after yesterday's exercises. Mrs. Mitsubachi showed no mercy, that was for sure.

Meanwhile they arrived in the entrance hall of the castle. They walked down the large stairs. On the way they noticed, however, that a small crowd had formed in front of the enormous gates. They recognized the other Kenshuusei and ran to them.

Kurumi, Icchan, Maeda Kokoro and Inoue Hikaru beckoned to them excitedly. Yuhane was the first to reach them.

"What's going on here?"

Her gaze wandered through the crowd, which had now formed a line on both sides of the large, red-golden carpet, creating a wide corridor from the entrance gates to the large staircase.

Kurumi turned to the new arrivals with big eyes and a hoarse voice.

"They are there. They are there. Unbelievable. We are allowed to see them. This is so unbelievable."

Reina closed her eyes, stood on her toes and tried to look over the heads of the others.

"Who is it? Who are we allowed to see?"

Kiyono Momohime did the same and returned stubbornly:

"You fool, don't you know? They finally come home. They were gone for months. They were thought to be dead."

Shiori jumped again and again to see something.

" Who? Who are you talking about?"

Finally the tall Kawamura Ayano took her on her shoulders. Icchan had been silent so far. Just as the first people began to cheer near the gates, the otherwise so tough Kenshuusei leader got tears in her eyes, which she wiped away without further ado. A narrow smile accompanied her reddened cheeks.

"Welcome home, °C-ute!"

Reina stared at her name sister in wonder for a short moment and repeated the words softly mumbling:

"°C-ute..."

Then thunderous applause broke out, and the young girl's attention focused entirely on the entrance.

Five people walked down the wide corridor one after the other. Their auras were overwhelming. Reina could feel the power of each of the young women. It felt like from another planet.

But not only the auras surrounding them were unique. No! The mere presence of the Five shone brightly throughout the hall.

The first, who passed by with a banner in her hand, on which a large, shimmering black embroidered C could be seen on a yellow ground, looked joyfully into the crowd. Her long, raven-black waving hair ran gracefully over her back. The silver armor plates she was wearing seemed damaged. It seemed similar to her silver-grey cape, which at the end only turned into silk shreds.

The clothing of the other four women also gave the impression that they had been on the road for many weeks and were continuously involved in fights. Who had attacked them?

The second of the squad had red blond, short hair and was the smallest in the group. Her self-confident look, however, revealed to Reina that this woman knew exactly what an incredible strength she possessed and that she could not be judged by her size.

Behind her followed a person with long dark brown hair that fell far over her shoulder. Her face looked exhausted, but her sweet, round face and full lips presented joy and contentment.

The fourth in the bunch stroked her long, thin fingers through the dark blonde hair, which reached down to the base of her neck. Her smile seemed weaker than that of the others, but this did not diminish the great charisma she sent to her surroundings.

Finally, a woman with long, dark hair entered the entrance hall. As soon as she came into most people's field of vision, the focus shifted directly to her and the cheering intensified many times more. The slender face was covered with cuts and wounds, but she was still enveloped by such beauty and radiance that even Reina could no longer detach her eyes from her.

Suddenly she heard Icchan whisper in awe:

"This is Suzuki Airi."

Reina had never heard that name before, but still she was surrounded by the feeling that she was familiar. Suzuki Airi. The aura was the same as that of Goto Maki and Tsunku. The young Kenshuusei was glad that the trembling of her legs had stopped. Apparently her additional lessons began to work.

Meanwhile Yuhane asks with a slight hiss:

"Who are these guys?"

Kurumi whispered back:

"This is °C-ute. One of the groupings. Or it's better to say..."

Inoue Hikaru interrupted her.

"°C-ute is the most powerful grouping of the Haven. They are incredible. Each of them is in the last Rehab Grade."

Stunned and absolutely impressed, the new Kenshuusei stared at the group members with their eyes wide open. Now they understood the march of all the people.

Yuhane had a very special look at the powerful people. Slight greed spoke from her words:

"They are a group. So it's possible to join them."

In the meantime, the observed ones slowly stepped up the great stairs towards the throne room.

Kurumi laughed amusedly.

"It's true that they're available for selection, so to speak. But, well..."

Yuhane's eyes flashed to the girl with the round face.

"What does 'so to speak' mean? Can you join them or not?"

Icchan gently laid her hand on Yuhane's shoulder and then said with a melancholic undertone:

"I can fully understand you. I think everyone would like to join °C-ute."

She took a short, dramatic break before continuing.

"However, no one has ever succeeded. And as it seems, no one will ever succeed."

The young Kenshuusei with the stub nose whirled around and looked at Icchan with a desperate look.

"Why not?"

For a long moment silence reigned. The group had already disappeared and the crowd was slowly disbanding. Icchan and Yuhane stared deep into each other's eyes. In the end, the older one answered with a matte tone:

"Because °C-ute themselves decided that they didn't want to accept any more members. Either they survive this therapy together... or they die together. Only the Five. None more. None less. That's what they decided. And so it will probably remain until the end."


	12. In the Village

Although it was still a summery warm time, you could feel the first autumn winds blowing through the southern villages. The group called ANGERME enjoyed the gentle breeze as they watched the sunset. A vessel whose task it was to serve cold drinks and food came, with an empty tray under its arms, to the table where the eight girls were sitting.

"Would you like to order something?"

The voice was both friendly and polite, but Kamiko still hadn't got used to the indifferent undertone that all the vessels had.

Opposite her was Rikako, who reacted first:

"A peach juice, please!"

The waitress also accepted the order from the other members. Kamiko looked after the waitress before joining the conversation again, in which the troop was interrupted. Take took the word:

"We've been out here for three weeks now and still don't have a single hint. That's unbelievable."

Furious, she grabbed her hair, completely tousling the fiery red mane and spreading it to the winds. Murotan laughed and pointed the index finger at the older one.

"Now you look like Pumuckl. That looks really good on you."

While Take played offended and shouted incomprehensible words towards her tormentor, the leader of the group, Wada Ayaka, raised her voice:

"Here in the village we are finished with our interrogation. We should go east next. Maybe the forest dwellers saw something."

Sporadic, unmotivated nodding followed. Katsuta Rina, a girl with long brown hair, rubbed her eyes tiredly and yawned. Kamiko liked her sweet, round face. She was particularly attracted by her sweeping lips. Rikako did the same as the brown-haired one and stretched out before asking:

"We're not leaving today, are we? It'll be dark soon and we'll have to wait for Maho anyway."

Ayaka, whose long, narrow figure and clear-cut face were lying half in the shadow of the restaurant roof, scratched her head questioningly. Then she noticed:

"We're pretty much late with the job. If we don't send a report to the Haven, they might get the feeling that we're on holiday instead of concentrating on our job."

Murotan interfered in the conversation:

"What would be so bad about relaxing a while? We really deserved that."

Nakanishi Kana answered with a half grinning, half mocking tone:

"You of all people have to talk. You can be seen lazing around on the porch every two days."

The addressed one winked because she felt caught and stuck out her tongue as an answer. Kamiko smiled. Yes, that was ANGERME. Being part of this group felt so liberated. Even if they were hit on the head by the Haven's leaders because they had once again completed an order too late or not with the means provided, somehow the group managed again and again to successfully assert itself against all adversities. Here everyone was allowed to do and to be what she wanted. The only important thing was to have fun together. As long as this existed, the group structure was in harmony.

At the last thought her gaze automatically wandered to Kasahara Momona, who sat shyly next to Kana. For a short moment she looked at the newest ANGERME member.

When Kassa suddenly looked up and her eyes were on Kamiko, the older one was frightened with her whole body and accidentally tripped the arriving waitress up. A second later you heard the angry cry of Rikako.

"KAMIKOOOOOO!!!"

The short-haired one was covered with brown-yellow liquid. From top to bottom she had been splashed with sticky fruit juice by the accident. Murotan and Take crashed to the ground laughing and couldn't even hold back their tears. Ayaka offered her the napkins distributed on the table. Rina, Kana and Momona had instinctively distanced themselves from the scene of the event in order not to be randomly showered as well.

The waitress apologized to Rikako thousands of times. Kamiko did the same, while she had to deny herself the amused grin. Yes, that was ANGERME.

 

 

 

 

In the meantime the night had fallen. The girls had retreated to the nearby bar because there were enough beds available for them. The villagers were usually not used to serving so many guests at the same time. In addition, the new arrivals did not look at all like simple wanderers. Instead, they wore high-quality clothing and looked extremely well-groomed. Even rumours spread that the strangers were from the castle. And THIS was indeed a rarity in this area.

Kamiko didn't like the way the vessels talked about them when they thought the group wasn't listening. She always felt like an outsider who didn't fit into this world. Ayaka had advised her on her first journey not to pay attention to such harassing words. The leader claimed that this was part of the therapy. It was used to test their mental resilience. This sounded logical, but did not mean that Kamiko wanted to get used to it.

The straight, black hair fell in the girl's face as she bent over her bed. She gently stroked it behind her ears. She had already got rid of her main clothes and was now looking at the grey-white fabric with the black leopard points. She liked the outfit. On the one hand it looked rebellious, on the other it left behind an expression of dwindling tenderness. The latter, however, was probably due more to Kamiko herself, because she had a really small frame in relation to her physique.

In the meantime she had also removed the net gauntlets on her hands as well as the silver-black bracelet around her arm and carefully laid the accessories on the bed. All in all a beautiful outfit, the black-haired girl thought.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Kamiko turned around in shock. Before she reacted, she quickly looked down at herself. She only wore a silk white undershirt. She hesitantly stepped towards the door and asked:

"Who is it?"

For a short moment there was silence. Then a soft hissing voice answered:

"It is me. Murota. Let me in."

Kamiko let the chaos queen enter her room in irritation. She had also changed her clothes for the night. Since they all travelled only with light luggage, they did not have a large selection of clothing and were forced to wear the same stuff for several days or even weeks. Fortunately, they were in a virtual world. Here, the rules for worn laundry were different than in reality. Depending on which materials the clothes were made of, they had a different length of usability. Simple fabrics of the farmers and villagers had to be washed almost daily in order to avoid signs of wear or even unpleasant odours. The Haven's clothing was of unbelievably high quality. Thus it had a much longer and above all more stable durability. In addition, the negative characteristics of unwashed clothes only appeared after an immensely long wearing time. This was also necessary, since groupings could often be on the road for many days and would be hindered by a too large amount of unnecessary luggage.

Murotan sat down on the bed by the window and grinned at both ears.

"Watch out, Kamiko! I have the ultimate idea! You'll be thrilled."

The interviewee was absolutely sure that she would not be thrilled in any way if a suggestion was made by Murotan in the middle of the night. But she let her guest speak.

"I now know how we can get you and Kassa closer."

Immediately the black-haired one froze. Automatically she answered with a hasty

"No!"

She wanted to give the whole thing a little more emphasis:

"No, Murotan! No! No! No! Whatever you have in mind... No!"

Her comrade laughed heartily, jumped up and went straight to Kamiko. Grinning, Murotan laid both hands on the shoulder of her companion.

"We scare Kassa! This is going to be brilliant! I can see it right in front of me. As soon as she's on her way to the bathroom, we sneak after her. Operation Numero Uno: The bathroom door that suddenly snap shut on its own. It's going to be a big bang. In the truest sense of the word."

Kamiko couldn't help but shake her head all the time. She didn't want that. She didn't need it. The girl knew that Murotan was just trying to help her. But Kamiko was very sure that this kind of help would not solve the problem in any case.

The two comrades stared into each other's eyes for a long time. One, with an enthusiastic look, whose head bobbed affirmatively from top to bottom again and again. The other, completely desperate because of the hopeless situation and the pressure she was under at that exact moment.

But there was no need for an answer. Because once again there was a knock on Kamiko's door. Without waiting for an answer, Take, Kana and Rina stepped in, in full travel gear. Their faces spoke volumes. Excited, they began to whisper. Take made the beginning:

"Great, you're here too, Murotan."

Kana continued immediately:

"You must hurry. Get dressed quickly."

Rina, who seemed worried, looked at the exit and spoke with her soft voice:

"I think I hear something. We hardly have time left.

Murotan and Kamiko were looking confused. The brown-haired girl took her heart and asked curiously:

"What's going on?"

While Kamiko put on the carefully sorted clothes again, she heard Take answering:

"We were just down at the bar with Rikako, when we heard it. Apparently _Hunters_ have come to the village. The bar guests tried to hide it from us, but they probably hadn't expected Rina's sharpened ears."

Kamiko put her hand in front of her mouth. Hunters? What were they doing here? Had they come for them?

Murotan was on fire through what was said.

"Finally something happens. Three weeks of aimless running around and now the action begins."

The joyful excitement was literally visible in her flashing eyes. She immediately ran to the opposite room to put on her own clothes. Kamiko, who had already done this, turned to Kana.

"Where is Rikako? You said that she was actually with you."

The older one answered quietly:

"She brings Ayacho and Kassa."

Kamiko frowned, then said with a cynical undertone:

"You need three people to get Murotan and me?"

The woman laughed quietly and winked with her eyes.

"We had all hoped to finally catch you sleeping."

The younger one didn't know how seriously she should take that answer. But there was no time left for further thoughts. The dressed Murotan entered the door together with Ayaka, Kassa and Rikako. The leader looked at each of them with a deadly serious face.

"Listen, people. If it's true that Hunters are in the village, we have to pull ourselves together."

With these words Murotan and Take began to grumble. But they remained silent. Ayaka continued their instructions:

"Even if the villagers are distant to us, we must not put them in immediate danger. So it is best if we leave the place unnoticed."

Rikako answered promptly:

"What if a villager called the Hunters? Then our silent leaving could be uncovered quickly, because we don't know who the snitch is. It could even be the landlord. He always gave me such evil looks."

Kana grinned and said smugly:

"But that was more because you didn't want to give a tip."

Ayaka raised her hands to silence the two of them. With a friendly nod towards Rikako she took the word again.

"You are right. We don't know who is friend or foe. But we can be sure that many of the villagers are unaware of the situation and don't want anything bad. We have to protect them. Even if it means that we will fall into a trap."

Kamiko swallowed heavily on this statement. Kassa, who joined next to her, which made the black-haired girl shiver, trembled. The older one wanted to do something for her comrade. She wanted to grab her hand. To exaggerate her courage. But she was too cowardly. She just couldn't do it. Helplessly Kamiko stood dumb and unable to move next to her protégé, which she had already exceeded by a few centimetres in size.

Ayaka stretched her hand into the middle of the group and smiled warmly at everyone.

"We can do this. The Hunters aren't here by accident. Even if they were after us, they could never have mobilized so spontaneously. So they were already focused on this area before. This in turn means that our goal may also be nearby. With a little luck, we'll start our journey home tomorrow. Sounds good, doesn't it?"

Kana returned the team gesture and hit the leader's hand with her own. Take followed her. So did Rina. Then Murota and Rikako. Finally Kamiko laid her hand on those of her comrades. And, after a short hesitation, Kassa did the same. The black-haired girl felt the innocent warmth of the youngest on the back of her hand. For a fraction of a second, as her eyes crossed again, Kamiko didn't feel she had to flee as quickly as possible. Instead, a smile formed on her face. As dwindling as the dawn, but just as existent at the same time. Kassas eyes widened slightly.

Suddenly Ayaka's words sounded loud and clear:

"We can handle everything. We are a family. We are..."

And everyone shouted joyfully in chorus:

"ANGERME!!!"


	13. The Forest and the Night

The wooden staircase of the bar house creaked horribly. No noise was heard from downstairs. Nevertheless, the constantly flickering shimmer of the candlesticks revealed that at least the landlord was still in the immediate vicinity.

Kamiko and Murotan stood still and in a lurking position on the groaning steps.

They were the smallest and thus the lightest in the group. The plan was that they would sneak down the stairs, preferably without making any noise, and explore the situation in front of the bar house. Kamiko thought that this might have been done by now. The creaking stairs of this inn were the death of every secret campaign. Even the best thieves would have to give in to it.

Murotan, who nearly froze with every cracking of the wood and immediately paused in her movements, cursed quietly:

"We can run like clumsy oafs and shout to everyone that we're leaving now. It wouldn't make any difference."

Kamiko found it somewhat ironic to hear these words from the mouth of the chaos queen of all people. Nevertheless, she was right. Basically, her secretiveness had now been revealed.

Murotan stood up, grabbed the railing firmly with both hands, based herself on it and jumped over the barrier directly down to the bar. The hard impact signaled that this had to be heard by the residents of the house in any case.

Kamiko had looked after her in shock. Without moving, she glanced down, leaning over the railing. Murotan waved at her with a happy grin.

"You can come down. There's nobody here. Everything is empty."

Sighing, the black-haired one took the real path. Kamiko walked down the stairs with creaking and groaning, which did not cause such loud noises as the jump of Murotan.

As she stepped to her comrade's side, she looked around the room. In fact, no one was present. Even the landlord had flown out. It all seemed very suspect. Her neighbour took a few steps towards the exit. She opened the door quietly and peered out. Apparently nothing was to be seen, because after a short time she came back shrugging.

"There's no one on the streets. The village seems to be extinct. The bar house is the only one still with lights on. Otherwise it is pitch dark out there."

Kamiko closed her eyes. She focused on the surrounding structures and expanded her mind. A faintly shimmering glow encircled her body. Murotan asked mischievously smiling:

"Do you recognize anything?"

Neither of them spoke a word for several minutes. The chaos queen waited patiently while her partner did the work. Kamiko had sent a kind of shock wave of her spirit into every corner of the village. She searched for, as she called it, Black Souls.

The abilities of the young ANGERME member had crystallized on the second mission with her. It turned out that Kamiko had a special ability to apply the knowledge of the mind. On the one hand, she was able to expand her consciousness by a certain radius, and thus to grasp everything that came in front of her inner eye in this imposed circle. What was really impressive, however, was the additional possibility of being able to precisely illuminate the shell of focused targets. Vital states. Mental wellbeing. Even the existing balance between energy and mind was not hidden from her, which is why Goto Maki had already asked her twice for help with medical analyses. Most recently for the girl named Yokoyama Reina.

Since her team members did not understand exactly how this kind of consciousness expansion worked, they had all tried it one by one and had failed miserably, Kamiko had to fall back on the simple description of colors to express her sensations. Green souls, for example, have a positive aura. They have no evil intentions and are in balance with their surroundings. Yellow souls, on the other hand, indicate an inner conflict. Most of the time, such goals had recently been the subject of a life-critical event or were still thinking about it. The Red Souls were considered a potential danger. Their balance was disturbed and their thoughts seemed doubtful.

But the Black Souls she described were the worst thing that could happen. These individuals, carrying such a devilish aura, were out for death, ruin and chaos. Such targets had to be shunned or, unless there was no other way, neutralized as soon as possible.

Kamiko slowly opened her eyes. The gleam around her immediately diminished. Murotan looked at her expectantly, but the black-haired woman shook her head uncertainly.

"There is no Hunter in the immediate vicinity. This is strange. Has Rina perhaps misheard something?"

Her partner denied that with a smile.

"Rinapuu does not mishear. You two misfits may have different abilities, but so far both of you have always been reliable. I let Ayaka know that the coast is clear."

Murotan left the doubting Kamiko behind, while she herself jumped up the stairs with long steps.

The girl with the smooth, black hair bounced nervously from one leg to the other. What was going on here? Were they really in immediate danger? Hunters were usually cruel and occasionally extremely tactical. But ANGERME has always been able to avoid them, not at least because of Kamiko's ability. So if they found a way to hide from her on purpose, it would mean they knew about the girl and her special status. This thought scared Kamiko a lot.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't realize all her comrades came to her excitedly. Murotan said hastily:

"Kassa observed something from the window, Kamiko. You have to listen to that."

Slightly dazed, the person addressed turned to the youngest. She turned purple and mumbled:

"I-I don't know what I saw there. I could also be wrong..."

Take punched her gently against the shoulder and said:

" Blow it out! Better wrong information than no information at all."

Kassas full lips trembled terribly before she answered:

"Th-Th-There were two hooded people. Inside an alley. They pointed at our house and then they left."

Murotan asked:

"When exactly was that?"

The interviewee thought, but Ayaka came before her:

"About ten minutes ago Kassa noticed it. So it could have been theoretically possible for Kamiko to locate them."

Unsettled, the mentioned girl hung her head.

"I've checked every alley and couldn't find a black soul."

Kana lovingly nudged her.

"That only means that they have left the village. And that's exactly what we wanted to accomplish anyway."

Rikako, on the other hand, was not quite that confident.

"Nevertheless, we must assume that the enemies have developed a remedy against Kamiko's abilities or at least they know how to avoid them."

Ayaka nodded in agreement.

"We will now leave the place quietly. The forest should be our next target. We absolutely must meet Maho."

Rina spoke with an insecure voice:

"Into the woods? Now? What if they're waiting for us there?"

No one knew a weakening answer. Of course it was not a good idea to march through the forest at night. Especially not when Hunters were in the same area. However, staying here was not an option. And the forest would have been their next destination anyway.

Kana walked, as Murotan had done some time before, to the door and peered out. When she seemed certain that there was no stranger nearby, she waved the others to her.

"I think now is a good time to leave."

Take raised her thumb to concur and then whispered purposefully:

"Well, here we go! Let's go for a creepy night hike into the dark, dark forest."

Ayaka gave her one last reproachful look, then the group set off.

 

 

 

 

The girl with the fire-red hair hadn't promised too much. Between the sea of trees there was pitch black darkness. You couldn't even see your hand in front of your eyes. Again and again one could hear the whimpering of one of the girls. The constant cracking of branches in the distance and the subconscious feeling that they were walking blindly into a trap left each of them with an unpleasant shiver on their backs.

Kassa clung anxiously to Kana. Kamiko also held on to Rina. Murotan, on the other hand, who no longer seemed as tough as usual, took a courageous step forward. Take and Rikako followed her at some distance. Ayaka took the back guard.

For several hours they were already wandering through the thicket. At first she hadn't let go of the feeling of being watched. Her thoughts were focused on a sudden ambush. But nothing of that kind happened. It was the perfect opportunity for the Hunters. If there were any at all. Even Rina doubted what she had heard. Kamiko asked her whispering:

"And you're quite sure that the villagers spoke of Hunters?"

The older girl with the round face frowned.

"Actually, yes. But I would have been quite happy if I had been wrong. And at the moment it seems to be after that."

Nobody wanted to lose many words while they wandered through the forest. Everybody was busy with themselves and their thoughts of horror scenarios. Kamiko plagued past creepy stories of witches, kidnapped children and faceless men who never let you out of their grip again. Immediately it shook her with goose bumps.

Suddenly a glow broke into the scenery. They entered a clearing. The blue shimmer of the moonlight on the flat meadow could have left a beautiful impression if the group's situation had not been so tense.

The girls stepped into the center of the scene, which seemed so strange and unnatural to them. There was not a single soul to be seen. Nevertheless, they took one step after the other in an expectant posture. They anticipated an attack at any moment. For a short instant one could only hear the gentle sound of the wind blowing through the leaves.

"Northeast. One person. West. Two people."

Rinas high voice was quiet. Kamiko turned the gaze on her comrade. She had put her hands funnel-shaped to the auricles to enhance her sense of hearing. Ayaka gave the first orders:

"We form up. Stay in position until I tell you otherwise."

For Kamiko and the others, these commands were routine. They practiced it almost daily. Murotan and Rikako took over the front. They were pure movement artists. Behind them Take took her position. She assisted the front line. Since Kassa did not yet have a direct role in the ANGERME structure, she was positioned next to her mentor: Kamiko. Her task was to supervise the coordination of the attack, to constantly locate the enemy's positions and to anticipate their tactical plans. In addition, since they had no medical power in the group, the little black-haired girl was given the task of keeping an eye on the life energy of her comrades.

Rina, Kana and Ayaka took over the rearguard. Besides Take, the three had the most experience in fighting and could therefore assess the situation more cautiously and more effectively than the hot-headed Rikako and Murotan or even the youths. Should anything go wrong, they were able to intervene without any problems and fill the role of their foremen with bravura.

A rough voice sounded from the dark in front of them:

"Well, well, well! Who do we have here? Have a few little girls got lost in the woods?"

Kamiko faltered. That sounded like an ordinary person. Hunters didn't talk so chesty. They were almost perfect killing machines and had no interest in useless small talk.

A man appeared in the shadow of the clearing. He had grown tall, with a stubble beard and a grey mane, and was carrying a heavy club. The weapon was decorated with nails knocked into the lumber.

As announced by Rina, two men also appeared from the west. Their faces were first covered with hoods, but they took them off as they came out. These could have been the people Kassa had been watching from the window. Both had put on a devilish grin. The taller of the two, his face was completely scarred, spoke with a very deep, threatening voice:

"You brats from the castle have real guts entering our territory. You come here with your fine clothes and all your money, and you really think we' ll just let you pass."

Slowly the tension of ANGERME, which had built up so excessively over the last few hours, came to an end. Now that they knew who the immediate threat was, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. They were only vessels. Murotan, who had already lurked in combat posture, even had to grin continuously. Finally she said amused:

"Well, you're some jesters to me. And we already thought that Hunters are chasing us. That simplifies the whole thing, of course."

Their opponents reacted more than angrily to this presumption. The grey haired man threateningly lifted his club into the air and stepped slowly towards the group. The scarred man and his partner growled aggressively and did the same.

"You spoiled brat shouldn't talk that big. Now give us all your possessions, including your precious clothes."

The men laughed maliciously and had come very close in the meantime. Kamiko relaxed her features and scratched her cheek in a somewhat irritated way. How had they got into such an unpleasant situation?

The smallest of the men noticed the gesture and immediately adopted it as a provocation. His shrill, angry tone echoed across the clearing:

"We'll start with you, dearie! Drop the cloth. If you're lucky, we'll be very gentle with you."

Rikako stepped between the speaker and Kamiko. Annoyed, she answered:

"That's enough now. None of us wants to take anything off here. If you really want to see naked skin, I would suggest that you just look at each other. Even though I can understand that this would not be a pleasant sight for any of you."

Although Kamiko didn't need the protection, she was happy that her friend defended her. The scarred one screamed angrily:

"You dare..."

Murotan put her index finger on her lips:

"Psst! You'll wake up Bambi."

With this the Chaos Queen had overstepped the mark. Out of rage the bandits ran towards the group. Everything went quickly.

Murotan had started to move forward at lightning speed. Her punch shot through the air in an incredible speed, so that one could only hear, but not see, the collision with the body of her opponent. The grey haired one slipped over the ground of the clearing and tore whole clumps of meadow balls with him.

At the same time Rikako had jumped into the air and had knocked out the scarred one with a well-directed kick, by accomplishing a full hit at his temple.

Next to Kamiko, the smaller man suddenly appeared. His wide open eyes showed the greed of his soul. At that very moment, Kamiko was about to defend herself, but suddenly her tormentor groaned painfully and collapsed on the spot. A girl had given him a massive headbutt.

At first Kamiko thought it was Kassa. But younger one still stood completely motionless behind her and held on to the hem of her mentor's top. So Kamiko took a closer look at the girl next to her. Even Murotan, who clapped her hands as if she had got it dirty somewhere, came to them laughing.

"Well, this is a surprise. You're up early, Maho."

Then Kamiko recognized her too. The interaction of light and shadow on the clearing had made it difficult to identify her: Aikawa Maho, the ninth member of ANGERME. Now the grouping was finally complete again.

Her black hair was tied back to a strict plait. Her face had a funny shape to Kamiko. The position of the eyes, which were so far apart, always had a certain resemblance to an alien, Kamiko thought.

The new girl scratched her head with embarrassment, turned to Kamiko and apologized with a smile:

"I'm sorry, little Moe. You could have knocked him out, but I thought his hair was so unattractive I had to hit him."

The addressed one stared at Maho in astonishment. THAT was her reason for intervening?

The group formed a circle. They had tied the men to a nearby tree and now had to discuss how to proceed. Ayaka addressed the newcomer:

"Aiai, it's good to have you back. You were with the forest dwellers. Did you get anything out of them?"

Maho smiled and shook her head.

"I had heard loud voices, so I wanted to see what was going on. But no, Ayacho, unfortunately they don't have enough beds for us to spend the night there".

Ayaka stared confusedly at her, Murotan slapped his hand in front of her face laughing and Take hit Maho against the back of her head and shouted loudly:

"Man, that wasn't the question. Did you find out if our target was there?"

Maho's face brightened.

"Ah, yes! Of course! Yes, the woman with the mask was there for a visit."

Kana's eyes widened with excitement.

"Did you meet her?"

The interviewee shook her head.

"No, not that. But the locals told me that a few days ago a woman with a mask had settled down there. She wanted to help the locals with their monkey problem."

Rina frowned.

"Monkey problem?"

Maho nodded hastily.

"Yes! Their berry pickers were repeatedly attacked by giant monkeys. That's what they told the masked woman. She had taken care of the problem and since then there are berries again in the forest village. But after the monkeys were done..."

Take finished the sentence:

"...the woman disappeared, too, didn't she?"

The plait bearer nodded again.

"Exactly! Crazy, right?"

Ayaka's face took on thoughtful features. For a long moment no one spoke a word. Then the leader sighed resignedly and looked at the bandits hanging motionless in their ropes.

"Okay, then we've lost our track for now. It would be a waste of time if we wandered around without a plan. The forest village was our last clue. We take these guys with us and hand them over to the wardens. They should take care of them. We'll tell the heads of the castle what we've found out so far."

Rikako said with a mocking undertone:

"So... nothing?"

Ayaka smiled.

"How often did we come back empty-handed?"

Take, who together with Murotan, Kamiko and Kassa freed the bandits to slowly bring them out of their unconsciousness, replied amused:

"Much too often!"

Ayaka grinned smugly.

"Exactly! And how often were we punished for that?"

Kana nudged her in the side before she laughed:

"Never before. Because we have a fantastic leader."

The group laughed heartily and soon a good mood spread among them. Only Kamiko turned to Rina on the way towards the forest village, where they wanted to stay the rest of the night before finally going home. One last time she whispered quietly to her companion:

" So there were no Hunters after all?"

Her comrade thought for a moment and then answered with her clear voice:

"It's really strange. I'm still sure that the villagers were talking about Hunters. But maybe they just meant the bandits."

Kamiko nodded hesitantly. Her eyes narrowed to slits. Finally she mumbled:

"That is probably the case. I didn't perceive a black soul. These weird guys are bad people, but they don't have the evil aura I fear. And yet I had a strange feeling in the village..."

Rina smiled softly.

"Don't worry about it. Well, then we were wrong. Now it is only important that we sit at a cosy campfire, eat something and close our eyes."

The black haired one happily agreed with her. But the dark premonition didn't want to leave her after all.


	14. Cherry Blossoms

A sonorous humming filled the small room. The light of flickering candles danced wildly around. Yokoyama Reina stood, with narrowed eyes and spread arms, in the center of the action. A shimmering glow surrounded her petite body. She felt the heady feeling within her. It flowed through her and reached into every fibre. It seemed so tangible and powerful, close and familiar.  
Goto Maki stood next to her and leaned against her desk. A contented smile surrounded her lips and she nodded enthusiastically. Finally she clapped her hands once loudly. Reina opened her eyes promptly. The powerful glow went out and within a second the small flames of the candles calmed down.

"Very well. Really! Very good! It took a while, but I think you finally have time to celebrate the success you longed for."

Sweat dripped in masses on the already soaked T-shirt of the younger one. But she also smiled, albeit exhausted.

"Thank you, Mrs. Goto! Without your help I would never have done that."

The teacher made a defensive gesture with her hand and winked.

"You did most of the work yourself. You can be proud of yourself. The triple burden has been with you for a long time, but in the meantime you seem to be getting along well with it".

Reina scratched her head in embarrassment. Somehow her mentor was right. It had been a tough two months.  
Her gaze wandered around, indulging in thoughts. She remembered exactly the first private practice sessions. Goto Maki had been waiting for her in the training hall. The girl had stepped up to her teacher highly motivated and ready to learn the balance between body and mind. But the grin had quickly been wiped from her face.  
The first hours had consisted of advanced exercises to steel the body. While she had already stumbled every week through Mrs. Mitsubachi's hard training and was allowed to pick up a reprimand almost every day, she also had to endure Mrs. Goto's agonizing pushing.  
However, Reina had soon wished that she could have returned to these initial training sessions. In the third week, the Master of the Mind had demanded that the young Kenshuusei combine her exercises with concentrated thrusts of power from within.  
This turned out to be an almost impossible task for Reina at first. Although she could hear a strange energy within her, she had no idea how to use it for her purposes.  
It took quite a while, under the guidance of Goto Maki, until Reina was able to direct the flowing, intense presence within herself. The teacher had made it clear that self-discipline, patience and will were needed in order to be able to use the energies of the body as well as the energies of the soul to a large extent. But there was much more that the person needed to connect these energies. It was the high art of clarity. The first step into a greater world.  
Reina had trained for many weeks under brutal conditions and suppressed tears. Goto Maki had by no means been squeamish. She had often pushed her protégé to the limits and beyond. During the nights the girl could not fall asleep because her muscles always felt as if they wanted to burst. During the day, she could hardly conceive a clear thought, as her mind was plagued by such exhaustion that the other Kenshuusei were always afraid that she would experience another seizure.  
After some time they had to change the facilities because the training hall became too unsafe. Many of their comrades were ambitious and paid the hall a visit or two during the lunch break. Therefore the teacher had moved the training units to her private office.  
Hour after hour. Day after day. Week after week. Reina had never complained. Goto Maki credited her highly for that. But complaining would have meant failure for Reina. And she didn't want to fail. Even if that had meant that she had to silently accept the outbursts of rage from Mrs. Mitsubachi and the pressure from Mrs. Goto.  
But then it was finally done. Here and now she had succeeded for the first time in creating a balance between body and mind. The control to steer her inner soul forces was already in her hands. Filling the human body with this energy in a concentrated and conscious way had been an impossible task so far.  
It was a moment of absolute mindfulness in which her senses seemed liberated when she suddenly felt a new consciousness. It was at that very moment that she reached into her inner being for the clear light that had flowed through her untouched for so long. And finally she succeeded. The incredible energy obeyed her. It followed her. It connected with her. The wonderful feeling had chased a tingling sensation through her whole body when the glaring light of her soul had surrounded her.  
Reina's gaze cleared up. Suddenly she realized that she remained in silence for minutes and Goto Maki watched her with interest.

"It's a strange feeling, isn't it?"

The girl nodded slowly for confirmation. Her mentor straightened up and laughed.

"I can still remember exactly my first experiences with the clarity. You don't forget such an event."

She offered Reina a chair, which the Kenshuusei gratefully accepted. Immediately she turned her eyes to Goto Maki.

"How was your first encounter with this kind of strength?"

The one she spoke to smiled mattely.

"I was 13 years old when I joined Morning Musume."

Reina opened her eyes and stared at her with her mouth open.

"S... you were in the Morning Musume group?"

This fascination didn't come from anywhere. In the morning theory lessons the 26th generation had been introduced to the different groups.  
Reina had already got to know ANGERME and °C-ute.  
Then there was Juice=Juice. Just like °C-ute they consisted of five members.  
Country Girls was a six-person group, led by Tsugunaga Momoko, who was already in the fifth Rehab Grade.  
The groups were completed by Kobushi Factory, consisting of eight people, and Tsubaki Factory, which recently had three additional members and thus consisted of a total of nine members.  
Morning Musume was the elite group of the Haven. Due to the glorious past and the prestige that the members were to radiate, they were generally called queens. For most Kenshuusei it was the most fervent desire to be accepted into this group.  
All the more impressive now that Reina learned that Goto Maki had been a member of Morning Musume.  
The teacher nodded dreamily.

"Yes, back then it was the beginning of Hello!Project Online, so to speak. The concept wasn't fully worked out yet, but we tried to do rehabilitation like no other. My comrades and I were friends, but also competitors. You were forced to fight for a place in the team. And this also happened for me on my first mission. We were almost completely wiped out. Yasuda Kei was dying. I was the only one standing. There was no choice but to grow beyond myself. I had to leave the training behind me and finally face reality. That was the moment. The clarity of being permeated me like I had never experienced before. Before I knew it, I was filled with a strength that my friends had sought in vain."

Reina listened to the story with fascination. Thousands of thoughts circled around her. One question after another shot through her head. Immediately it gushed out of her:

"How did you manage to get yourself out?"

The interviewee raised her hands laughing before she continued amusedly:

"I didn't even know I was such a great narrator. But unfortunately I can't tell you so much anymore. Of course, I used my newly gained powers to make our enemies flee. It was overwhelming."

Her young listener stared at her still impressed. Finally Reina asked:

"Who were the attackers?"

Goto Maki hesitated for a moment. Her lips formed a narrow line. Apparently, the answer didn't seem easy for her. But then she answered emotionlessly:

"They were Hunters."

Confused, Reina pulled an eyebrow up.

"What are Hunters?"

In a somewhat resigned manner, the teacher sighed and spoke:

"These are dark creatures. They are our hardest opponents in this world. You can call them humanoid organisms, but that's the only thing they have in common with us humans. Their main nature is to hunt and slaughter soul bearers as we are."

The young girl shivered at this remark. She couldn't help but ask:

"What are they for? The therapy is supposed to help us. But these beings seem to be there rather to let us fail."

Goto Maki bit his lower lip. A strange behavior, Reina thought. Finally her mentor said slowly:

"You have to understand, Yokoyama, the real world is not just black and white. Hello!Project Online is a dreamlike image of it. Just because we perceive something as evil, it may still have its justification to exist. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we can move forward in life for ourselves. After all, we don't grow by joy and contemplation, but by problems and trials that we solve on our own."

With these words Goto Maki walked to the door and opened it. Slightly smiling, she pointed her hand towards the exit. Reina understood the gesture. She did not let go of the feeling as if she had asked one question too many in the end.

 

 

 

 

Tired Reina walked along the corridors towards the training halls. Although she still felt the comforting warmth of her success, she didn't know how to survive the torments of Mrs. Mitsubachi in the next hours. Her whole body trembled. The strain of the past two months was felt like never before.  
The young Kenshuusei stopped and leaned with her left hand against the stone side wall of the corridor. She took three deep breaths and tried to calm her pulse.

"Are you all right? You look quite exhausted."

A clear, sweet voice sounded behind Reina. A second later a person had bent under her hanging face and looked at her with big, innocent eyes. The dark brown hair of the newcomer was braided several times on the side and fell elegantly over her shoulders.  
For a short moment Reina was completely perplexed how close the strange girl came to her. A gentle, pleasant scent, which strangely sparked thoughts of beautiful cherry blossoms, entered her nose. Quickly she straightened up and said hastily:

"Ye-Yes, everything's fine, thank you!"

Expectant looks stuck on the Kenshuusei. In turn, she scrutinized the stranger. The person towards her was about the same size as herself. But her face and body seemed far more feminine. She was definitely older than Reina. The young girl wondered if the person was a vessel or a group member. Or maybe even a very, very young teacher?  
But before she could ask, the stranger suddenly stepped up to Reina and touched her gently on the shoulder, accompanied by an encouraging smile.  
Reina could not explain what happened next. Pleasant freshness spread through her. The tiredness had vanished with a blink of an eye and the burning pains in her arms and legs were also soothed. Even the trembling stopped abruptly.  
The Kenshuusei stared at her helper with her eyes wide open. The young woman gave her a broad, cheerful smile, turned around on her heel and walked along the corridor with a slight hip swing.

"What's your name...?"

But it was too late. Before Reina could complete the question, the person had already disappeared. Only the sweet and bitter aroma, which reminded the young girl so much of cherry blossoms, remained for a short moment. Completely overwhelmed, the dark-haired girl stayed in place for several minutes. Finally she set off lost in thought.  
While she was still walking down the aisle, she looked out for the mysterious person. She had probably not been a vessel. At least Reina hadn't yet realized that vessels were capable of such healing powers. So she had to belong to a group. The person didn't seem as chaotic as ANGERME. She could recognize the °C-ute members at any time because of their impressive invasion. She had never met any other groups before.  
Reina hoped she would meet the person again. She really wanted to thank her and learn more about her.  
Due to the unexpected recovery she had received, she reached the doors of the training hall much faster than planned. A quick look at the big clock on the wall above the spectator stands told her that she still had 40 minutes before Mrs. Mitsubachi would let them all rush back over the matt floor.  
Just as she was putting her bag in a corner and starting to change clothes, she realized she wasn't alone. Kaga Kaede had taken her usual training posture in front of the mirror. The number of beads of sweat on her face indicated that she had been here for some time.  
Reina, after being equipped with full training gear, stepped right by her side. The short-haired woman didn't waste a single glance at her. Instead, she continued her movements without interruption.  
The younger watched her for a while. Then she started right in the middle of it and imitated Kaedi's exercises. For several minutes the two literally fused together. In perfect synchronicity, they punched the edges of their hands, mastered complex turns, worked out rapid backward sequences and completed hierarchical processes in terms of attack and defense.

"KYAAAA!"

They ended with a scream unleashed at the same time and the outstretched fist towards the mirror. Breathing heavily, they stared at their twin figures, who looked at them as determinedly as they felt.  
Reina immediately sat down on the floor, leaned on her arms backwards and lifted her head up to look at the wide ceiling.

"Pooh, that was great. I think we're a superb team, Kaedi."

The person in front stretched slightly and grumbled:

"I didn't allow you to call me that."

Playing offended, Reina turned to her comrade.

"The other Kenshuusei are allowed to call you that."

Kaede kept trying to avoid eye contact while she answered:

"The others didn't bother me either. You do that already."

The younger one grinned at both ears.

"You are my hardest competitor, so I have to annoy you."

Reina had actually made it. With these words Kaede's eyes wandered irritated to the smaller Kenshuusei.

"What do you mean? Hardest competitor?"

The dark-haired girl scratched her head laughing.

"Well, you're so passionate about trying to get better. And I think I just share that passion. I would also like to be added to a group."

Kaede's face suddenly darkened. For a short time no one spoke a word. Reina was about to say something again, but the elder interrupted her vehemently. A flaring undertone accompanied her.

"You've only been here for two months and are already demanding a place in a group? You don't know anything about us Kenshuusei. You don't know anything about me."

The younger one watched her comrade attentively. Kaede gave Reina a wrathful look and then pointed at her with an outstretched index finger.

"You want to be better than us? Then fight me. Here and now! I will prove to you that worlds lie between us".

First Reina frowned, because she had not expected such an aggressive answer. But then she jumped up motivated, clenched both hands and looked excitedly at Kaede.

"Okay, let's get started right away!"

The older one had not anticipated such a reaction either, but unconsciously she also had to grin.

"We both walk into an opposite corner of the hall. On three, the fight begins."

Her opponent nodded happily as a sign that she had understood. Quickly they went to the given position. Kaede lifted a finger into the air and spoke loudly:

"One!

Reina returned the gesture with two fingers and shouted laughing:

"Two!

Together they lifted the last finger up and shouted simultaneously:

"THREE!"

And with brute speed they sprinted towards each other.


	15. The Fear of Failure

The hard impact of the two rivals caused a powerful shock wave that shot through the entire training hall. For a short moment Reina and Kaede, looking at each other intensely, stayed in the air.  
Then the older girl wound up with a targeted karate chop and hit her partner directly in the flank. The younger one felt the cruel pain flare up as she smashed hard on the floor.  
But immediately Reina recovered herself, braked her fall with her hands and feet and raced towards Kaede again. The short-haired girl had expected such a brute tactic. She analyzed Reina's attack pattern in a fraction of a second and blocked both the subsequent blows and the surprising kick against her calf.  
Instinctively the younger one jumped back in a hurry when Kaede started another powerful movement. Not a moment too late, a tornado rattled in a horizontal line between both sides, leaving a black, linear imprint on the floor.  
Reina exhaled with relief. If she would have hit by this energy wave, the fight would already be over. Kaedi was clearly serious. The young girl could not help but admire her opponent. So it was only fair when Reina also threw everything into the fight.  
With a serious expression she gathered her inner strength. Now it became clear whether she did justice to the exercises of Mrs. Goto.  
A terrible crash resounded through the room. Reina suddenly lost the breath. Kaede's fist had suddenly rammed into the stomach of the young Kenshuusei. She had never expected such a speed. Reina shrugged and collapsed, groaning on the floor.  
Kaede looked down at her emotionlessly.

"Did you really think you could beat me with your mind tricks? Year after year I see generations of Kenshuusei coming after me joining the groups. Year after year I have to accept that I am not good enough. Simply because I don't keep the balance between my body and this confounded mind. No matter how much I train..."

Reina tried to get up in pain. Kaede spoke as if in rage:

"And now you come. Just here for a short time and playing yourself as if you were something special."

The older one angrily grabbed the collar of Reina's shirt and lifted her up into the air as she roared:

"Your smile will pass by someday. The rules here are: Survive or die! Such a simpleton as you are cannot exist here... must not exist..."

The dark-haired one stared at her again attentively, while she was in the grip of her tormentor. Not a word came over her lips. That made Kaede even more hot tempered.

"Now say something! Something! Fight back! FIGHT BACK!"

She hurled Reina to the ground. The younger one slithered over the floor, but this time she made no effort to slow it down. When she finally stopped without any further action, she gradually straightened up. Her eyes had disappeared into the darkness of her hair. There was also no smile to be seen. Instead the lip had split and abrasions grazed her face and arms.  
Suddenly Reina went into the same posture as before when Kaede struck her down. She spread out her hands and gathered her mind. Kaede opened her eyes in hatred.

"Didn't I say you don't need to try such cheap tricks on me?"

Again she picked up speed and rushed with her fist ahead towards her opponent. Reina opened her eyes resolutely and concentrated the flow of light inside her on her joints.  
Suddenly the tables turned. By skillfully circulating with her arms, Reina succeeded in levering out Kaede's brutal blow. At the same time she turned backwards around her own axis and whirled her foot around her so that it blew the opponent right through the air. Immediately Reina jumped after her and let her elbow bang against Kaede's ribs. The older one ruffled shocked and smashed a second later on the floor.  
But it wasn't over yet. She was followed as quickly as possible by the younger one, who made a final blow towards the ground.  
Kaede reacted lightning fast. Through the powerful push with her arms she rolled away. Shortly afterwards Reina hit the ground.  
Without hesitation they both turned their eyes to the other and took up position again. Kaede noticed slightly amused:

"So are you finally taking all this seriously?"

With this comment Reina had to grin involuntarily, even if her eyes sparkled with determination.

"I've been taking this seriously since I got here."

Breathing heavily, Kaede asked confusedly:

"And why do you always play the naive dummy?"

Also the younger one had to fight with the effects of the event. Nevertheless, she managed an honestly cheerful answer:

"I don't play anything for anyone. I just believe that everyone deserves the smile I give them. You can call me naive or stupid as you like. At the end of the day I know that I am happy with myself. Are you the same with yourself, Kaedi?"

The heartbeat of the senior stopped for a moment. Her face fell apart. The short moment she thought about the question was enough to make her completely insecure.  
The doors to the training hall opened. The other Kenshuusei entered one by one and saw the spectacle with their mouths open.  
Reina had lost no time and sprinted towards the completely destroyed Kaede. When the young girl with the dark, shoulder-length hair reached the final blow, her comrade remembered and took a very defensive stance. Kaedi's palms hummed and began to shimmer red. Reina's fist, on the other hand, crackled and she was surrounded by a bluish glaring light.  
The impact was monumental. Strong gusts of wind rushed towards the spectators, who had trouble holding on to each other. Wave after wave was repelled from the centre of the action. Until both opponents were catapulted in opposite directions and hit the stone walls with their backs.  
When both of them remained motionless on the ground, the other Kenshuusei ran panically to the fighters. Shiori screamed in horror:

"Reina! Reina! What is going on here? What are you doing here? It's far too dangerous!"

Quickly they turned their generation member so that she lay face up. Reina's eyes fluttered. She opened them clumsily and looked into familiar faces. Immediately the well-known smile appeared.

"Hey, you! I didn't realize you were already there."

Her comrades were snorting with relief. Rin almost broke out in tears.

"Why are you fighting each other? We are a team, aren't we? You mustn't hurt each other."

Reina slowly rose up and laid her hand laughing on the head of the youngest.

"We only trained together. That was a lot of fun."

The 26th generation looked doubtfully at the cheerful nature. Then they turned their attention towards Kaede. She had already got up and knocked the dirt off her clothes. Icchan, Kurumi and Hikaru were with her and talked to her.

"What's going on HERE?"

Mrs. Mitsubachi had just entered the scenery. For her the whole thing had to look strange. Two scarred, bleeding students, each surrounded by a semicircle of Kenshuusei.  
But before she could have got a final picture, it was Kaede of all people who came to her and bowed.

"I am sorry, Mrs. Mitsubachi. I'm not feeling well today at all. Could I skip this training?"

The teacher frowned with confusion.

"Skip? You, Kaga?"

The person nodded and remained in the bow.

"Yes! I urge you to let me go to my room."

Mrs. Mitsubachi didn't know how to answer that at first. Normally it was a no-go to skip the training sessions. However, she also knew that Kaga Kaede practiced her exercises much more intensively than all the other Kenshuusei together.  
She nodded nosily.

"All right. This one time. But that shouldn't happen again, Kaga. Do you understand me?"

Kaede thanked honestly:

"Yes, I understood that. Thank you."

And immediately she took her stuff and literally fled out of the hall.  
Mrs. Mitsubachi, still slightly irritated, clapped her hands.

"We have a lot to do today. So get changed. We'll start in five minutes."

Although Reina was already wearing her training clothes, she accompanied the other Kenshuusei to the place on the wall with the bags. Ayano suddenly burst out:

"Now tell me, Reina. What happened between you two?"

The person she was talking to shook her head with a smile.

"We wanted to see who was the better one."

Kurumi replied snappishly:

"I think Kaedi has a crush on you. She hasn't been that open-hearted in a long time."

Reina looked at her in amazement.

"She insulted me quite wildly. She said that I don't know her and the Kenshuusei at all because I've only been here for two months."

Ruru put her hand on Reinas shoulder from behind and apologized:

"As for that, you have to be a little considerate. Kaedi has been part of the Kenshuusei for almost four years. Nearly all of her generation members are already part of groups. And so many of Kenshuusei added later have also been prior to her. I think this frustration weighs on her every day. Just like it is with our Icchan, isn't it?"

The concerned look of the tall girl met the leader of the Kenshuusei, who had quietly followed the conversation. She answered with a light swallow:

"Kaedi and I are the last of our generation. And we have been in the therapy program for so long that we expect the worst every week. Basically, we are just waiting for the message that the Observer is kicking us out of the project. There is so much hope for all of you. And I am firmly convinced that you will make it into a group. But if you, like us, are going beyond the fourth year in Kenshuusei, then you should think about what you want to tell whom before the plug is finally pulled."

That news was devastating for Reina. She had not been aware at all of the pressure Kaedi and Icchan were under. The pistol was directed at their chest. If they didn't soon join a group, the Observer would classify them as immedicable and get rid of them. If she understood Goto Maki correctly, this would not have good consequences in real life.  
The other Kenshuusei were not that happy with what Icchan had said either. Reina herself had to deal with all this first of all. Did she even have the right to go on and on? Was she allowed to become stronger so quickly when it meant that Kaedi and Icchan, who had been waiting so long for their promotion, were taken away from the grouping places? That all was so unfair, the young girl thought.  
Suddenly she noticed a certain pair of eyes staring darkly at her. She immediately turned into one of the corners and faced Yuhane. The ambitious Kenshuusei spoke with a slightly excited tone:

"Reina, what happened earlier... You weren't fighting at normal levels."

Irritated the other Kenshuusei began to whisper. They wondered what Yuhane meant by that. Reina, on the other hand, bit her lower lip desperately. The person facing her noticed this immediately.

"Aha! So I guessed right. Those weren't just simple blows. You have connected your mind with your body."

Shiori asked confusedly:

"Ye-Yes so? What are you trying to say, Yuhane?"

The person addressed pointed to Reina with her finger and replied coldly:

"She possesses more knowledge than we have. But that's impossible, because we all had the same lessons. So I assume it has something to do with the private lessons with Mrs. Goto, doesn't it?"

Yuhane stared jealously at her comrade. Reina in turn didn't know at all how to deal with the situation. Eventually she chose to tell the truth:

"Yes, Mrs. Goto taught me how to apply the knowledge of clarity."

Panting with rage, Yuhane said immediately:

"And we should be satisfied with the explanation that this is not yet something one has to learn as a Kenshuusei? It seems to give you clear advantages in development. What's that all about? Why shouldn't we get this art taught?"

Reina raised her arms in defense:

"I didn't choose this. I had to..."

But she was suddenly interrupted by Mrs. Mitsubachi. The teacher called everyone to practice.  
Yuhane rushed past Reina with a smoking head, without giving her another glance. Reina sought help from the other Kenshuusei, but they also seemed extremely confused. Quickly they went to their positions to think about the conversation.  
Reina didn't know how to set it right again. Did they all assume that she had deliberately done a secret training in order to snatch the grouping places from the others? They were not allowed to think that. Reina didn't want them to think she was such a devious person.

"Yokoyama! Let's go now! Position!"

Inwardly trembling, the young girl walked to the others. How did she get out of this mess?


	16. Café Buono

November welcomed the inhabitants of the Haven with thunderstorms. The temperatures, which had remained at a pleasant level for a long time, dropped rapidly. The rain pelted with a gentle drum against the windows of the library.  
Reina had been to be found in the last weeks more often at this place. On the one hand she had already planned since her Kenshuusei accession to dedicate herself extensively to the whole writings of the castle. She was denied this for a long time, as the strain of the first months had demanded all her attention. On the other hand she was able to distance herself a little from the other Kenshuusei. Since it had come out that Reina had already received an extensive basic training in clarity, she was viewed suspiciously by the majority of the Kenshuusei. Of course, no one spoke out directly offensively against her, but Reina noticed the striking aversion to her when she tried to engage in conversation or even join her comrades. All of a sudden the talks ended and within a few minutes the group disbanded. Reina then remained alone.  
The young girl could understand the reactions even if it was hurtful. Some of them had been in training for several years and tried every day to finally join a faction. It seemed questionable if a cheeky newcomer came along and was suddenly given preferential treatment.  
Reina had tried to explain why Goto Maki had treated her separately. And apparently it also seemed to have convinced one or the other. After all, it was about a person's life.  
Nevertheless, Yuhane in particular had argued that it would be much better if each of them received this instruction. With an aggressive undertone she had asked if Reina's life was worth more than hers. The outcast could not reply to this.  
Frustrated, Reina was tousled her hair. Again and again she lost her thoughts. Again and again she thought about her situation. But in the end she couldn't change much at the moment.  
With a deep sigh she opened a book with the title "The Golden Era of Morning Musume". A weak smile adorned her face. At least the time alone wasn't completely wasted. Reina had learned some interesting facts about the history of this world. Especially the history of Morning Musume was impressive.  
She looked around attentively. The enormous number of wooden shelves, all filled with books of different colours and shapes, made Reina shiver with joy. She wished she could just spend the night here. Then she would also avoid the unpleasant looks of the others, the girl thought to herself.  
The creaking wings of the library door opened. Shiori and Ayano entered and looked around searching for a short moment. When they finally discovered their generation mate, their expressions brightened and they walked towards them.

"Reina, Reina! Do you want to go to town with us?"

Shiori's shining eyes sparkled towards her. Ayano agreed with the question with an expectantly nodding head. The addressed one looked reflexively at the window. She hadn't even noticed that it had stopped raining. Immediately she turned to the two new arrivals and returned curiously:

" To the town? We've never been there before. Icchan has often recommended that we visit the outside world."

With a broad grin Shiori nodded her head hastily.

"Exactly! Besides, you spend far too much time in this lonely cubbyhole. You're already ashen."

Reina laughed hollowly. It was ironic that it was the tender thirteen-year-old with angelic skin who made such a judgment about her slightly darker girlfriend.  
But the youngest of the three received support from Ayano.

"We're really worried about you, Reina. You've been hiding completely from us for a few days now. That can't be healthy at all. Let's rather do something together. You are our friend, aren't you?"

The lower lip of her comrade shrugged at these words. It took a few seconds until Reina showed a reaction. Finally she stood up without a word, stepped up to the taller one and embraced her. Ayano's eyes widened with surprise. She hadn't expected that at all.  
Shiori, who had also watched the scenery stunned, felt a real lump in her throat, joined the other two and stroked Reina gently over her shoulder.  
The strange moment lasted a long time. Finally Reina separated from her friend, gave the younger one a thankful smile and then said in a fragile but cheerful voice:

"Let us go to the town. Hopefully the weather won't change again while we' re on our way."

 

 

 

 

Reina quickly regretted her words. When the group of three set off and stepped out through the gates of the castle, new grey clouds were already gathering in the sky. It didn't take long and the girls were soaking wet.  
At a fast pace they ran down the meadow hills that followed the park at the foot of the Haven. Although the path was very cleanly paved, large puddles formed after a short time and the three Kenshuusei had difficulties not to be splashed from head to toe with water and mud.  
In the end they managed to reach the gates of the town. The guards greeted them with humming laughter, because they could not quite understand which noble castle inhabitants voluntarily exposed themselves to this weather.  
Finally the group found themselves under a canopy of one of the local buildings to protect themselves from the rainstorms.  
Shiori sighed in frustration:

"What is this? When Ayano and I picked you up, it looked as if the storm would move away. Why didn't we enjoy the summer to the full?"

Reina wrung out her jacket while she answered:

"We were way too exhausted after every Mitsubachi training session to have had the strength to run here."

Ayano began to moan:

"Oh man! So we finally have a quiet weekend ahead of us and then there's something like that. I had hoped we could look for this great restaurant that Icchan had recommended to us."

Shiori groaned desperately.

"You are right. Fried prawns. Delicious rice. Octopus balls. Now I'm hungry."

The taller one sadly held her stomach.

"Don't list such tasty things. Or do you want us to die at this desolate place?"

In the meantime Reina had turned around and looked at the building under whose canopy they had sought shelter.

"Um, guys..."

Ayano kneeled on the ground in depression.

"We will perish miserably in this mud-strewn cul-de-sac."

Shiori joined her on her knees.

"That's true. If the rain doesn't stop soon, we'll have to sleep here on the threshold to hell."

Reina was still trying to attract the attention of her friends.

" Guys, seriously! Turn around, will you?"

With tired eyes, the two of them turned their eyes in the direction Reina pointed.  
Suddenly they straightened up and stared shocked at what was in front of them. It was a large shop window that resembled a land of milk and honey. In front of them were various foods, sweets and pastries, hot and cold drinks and a warm ambience inside with a rich pink touch. Above the door there was a big inscription: Café Buono!  
Without saying another word, Ayano and Shiori jumped at the door with drooling mouths past Reina. The ignored girl shouted in shock:

"Hey! Wait!"

But it didn't help. Her two comrades opened the door and immediately a sweet smell popped into their faces. The bells on the inside of the entrance started ringing. It was a sign that new visitors were entering the shop.  
On the other side of the room there was a counter for sale, which offered all the delicacies, which could already be seen in the shop window, behind an elongated glass. Donuts with vanilla filling. Pizza Margherita. Rice with omelette. Mint chocolate ice cream. Café Latte. The new arrivals couldn't get enough of what was served.  
Suddenly a bright voice sounded.

"Ooooh! Who do we have here? Guests? I have never seen you here before. What can I offer you?" 

The young woman who presented herself behind the counter stared at her with a broad grin and wide open, excited eyes. Although she looked much older than Reina and Ayano, she was incredibly tiny. Even Shiori seemed to be taller. And although her face had very striking female features, the two mini plaits left and right left an extraordinarily childlike impression. Moreover, her haunting look had something disturbing in it, while her smile was definitely classified by Reina as honest and charming. This person was an absolute paradox.  
Ayano, on the other hand, didn't worry much about the saleswoman. As quick as lightning she ran towards the counter and pulled out her wallet. Reina and Shiori did the same.  
They had learned two months ago that they were earning some pocket money as Kenshuusei. Even though Goto Maki had warned them that it was not necessary to spend money on food because there were three meals a day in the Haven, it was not a hard decision for the three friends to fill their bags with the delicious-looking sweets.

"Thank you for your shopping! I'll bring the pizza to your table as soon as it's ready."

Packed with all kinds of food and a much lighter wallet, they balanced their trays towards a free table. Due to the storm outside the clientele was more than manageable. Only six other people sat in the café. Among them were a little girl sitting with her back to them, busy with an iced chocolate, three young men yelling and shouting in a corner, and two gentlemen in dark coats who had pulled their collars deep into their faces and whispered to each other.  
It was a real stroke of luck that they had discovered this place. The comforting warmth of the nearby oven flooded their frozen bodies. They were allowed to hang the wet jackets over the heater. Reina felt that Café Buono, with its pink walls and covers and the cheerful atmosphere it automatically radiated, was very cosy. Also the waitress seemed very friendly and in a good mood. When she brought the big, deliciously smelling pizza to the table, she performed an artistic pirouette on the way. The three young girls clapped their hands with enthusiasm. The little woman bowed gracefully and then walked away swinging.  
Even though the weather outside had been bad for them before and the trip was almost over before it had even started properly, they enjoyed the time at this place. They spent several hours at their table, laughed heartily at this and that and chatted lively with the waitress, who finally introduced herself as Tsugunaga Momoko. She was a colourful personality and told excessively that she loved serving her guests at Café Buono.

"You have to come here one Wednesday afternoon. We always prepare truffle pies there. They're incredibly delicious, I can tell you."

Reina remarked surprised:

"Oh, you're not alone here?"

The young woman named Tsugunaga shook her head effusively.

"No, no! I have four more helping hands at my side. I can't produce all these delicacies on my own." 

Shiori held her stomach. A satisfied whisper accompanied her voice.

"I am stuffed. Your sweets are amazing. I feel like I'm in seventh heaven."

The waitress held an index finger to her temple and winked mischievously with one eye as she answered:

"I'm glad to hear that. I am always at your disposal."

Suddenly there was a riot in one corner of the café. A loud call came over to them.

"Hey Tsugunaga! It's unfair if you ignore us all the time. We also want some company. Not just these little brats."

One of the men had turned his attention to the small group. The woman who was addressed smiled innocently.

"Today I dedicate myself to our new guests. I want to know everything about them. I hope for your understanding".

The men grumbled at this answer. They were clearly not satisfied, but accepted the situation for better or for worse.

Ayano whispered uncertainly:

"W-We don't want to cause any trouble to your regular customers."

But Tsugunaga waved grinningly away:

"These guys can get along without me. Besides, this is all marketing for me. If you feel comfortable here, you'll come back. And then you'll be my regular customers too, won't you?"

Ayano had to think confusedly about this statement, but Reina nodded happily.

"We will definitely come back. The food here is fantastic, Mrs. Tsugunaga."

With played horror the self-confident woman shook her hands wildly gesticulating around.

"Please! I am not an old woman. We don't have to be so formal."

Thereupon a sweet voice sounded.

"Momochi! You sometimes look like an old woman. You should submit to your destiny".

The little girl with the ice chocolate had turned to them and looked at them with big eyes.  
But Reina took her breath away. There was no child sitting near the bar. The person was also a young woman, probably the same age as Tsugunaga. But her body looked like that of a child. She was almost as small as the owner of the café, had a slender figure and a childlike facial expression. Her wavy brown hair just fell on her shoulders and framed her face in an elegant form.  
Tsugunaga crossed her arms in front of her chest and inflated her cheeks.

"Stop saying that. Otherwise I'll end up feeling really old."

The three girls at the table had to laugh involuntarily during this conversation, even though the new person was completely unknown to them. But the café owner quickly found a remedy.

"May I introduce you to Shimizu Saki. She is my most loyal customer".

The introduced one bowed formally.

"Nice to meet the three of you."

Reina, Ayano and Shiori also bowed quickly and named their names.  
They gathered around the table so that Shimizu Saki could join them and it quickly turned out that she and Tsugunaga Momoko were apparently connected by a deep friendship. At least Reina felt the good relationship between the two. In their stories both complemented each other almost perfectly.  
Finally the woman with the pigtails took a look at the clock on the wall.

"Saki, isn't it about time for your guests? It is already past 16 o'clock."

The woman in question winked.

" Speaking of the devil."

At the same moment the door opened and the bells rang again. A small number of new guests swarmed in, soaking wet from the meanwhile somewhat weakened rain showers.  
Reina froze at the sight of the people. Her inner being was numb. In front of them stood their Kenshuusei comrades: Icchan, Kurumi, Kaede, Hikaru, Mizuki, Kokoro, Dambara, Kotomi, Kizuki and strangely Yuhane. For a brief moment, the arrivals were also surprised. But Shiori and Ayano, who had no dislikes, greeted them happily with waving arms and hands.  
Tsugunaga, with the help of Shimizu Saki, pushed some tables close to each other to make room for all the guests. Yuhane gave Reina several suspicious looks until she finally asked:

"Was she invited too?"

Reina didn't like the pejorative undertone at all. What was wrong with Yuhane? They actually got along so well. How could her comrade have created such a reluctance in such a short time?  
The mentioned Shimizu Saki pulled her eyebrows up.

"Now that she is also a Kenshuusei, and as I heard, even a damn excellent one, there is no reason why she shouldn't participate."

Reina looked confusedly into the group.

"Participate? In what?"

Suddenly she noticed something.

"Wait a minute! You know the Kenshuusei, Shimizu?"

Tsugunaga laughed loudly.

"Of course she knows the Kenshuusei. Or did you think we were vessels? Saki is of special importance to you. She is, so to speak, your ticket to the great groupings. You can also call her Captain."


	17. Audition

While Shimizu made a defensive gesture regarding the term 'Captain', Reina first had to process what had been said. Her thoughts were literally spinning.  
Both Tsugunaga and Shimizu were not vessels. Admittedly that was foreseeable. They had presented themselves much too natural and unpredictable. But what did they have to do with the Kenshuusei? And what was this meeting that was taking place in the middle of them?  
Ayanos and Shiori's faces were also marked by question marks. They understood no more than Reina. However, Shimizu Saki had now stood in front of the larger troop and began to speak seriously:

"First of all, I would like to thank Ichioka for having managed to drum up the suitable candidates at such short notice.

She nodded to the leader of the Kenshuusei. Icchan returned the gesture.

"I'd also like to thank Momochi for allowing us to use Café Buono as a meeting place."

The addressed woman grinned at both ears.

" A pleasure for you, Captain."

Shimizu flinched slightly at the re-titling, but said nothing against it. Instead, she turned her attention back to the group. A smile stepped on her childlike face.

"For those who don't know me yet, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Shimizu Saki. I officially belong to the committee for the preparatory selection of the Observer. This means that I test the Kenshuusei in an exam-like procedure to see if they are ready to join a group."

The words were followed by an impressive silence. The members of the 26th generation heard about this measure for the first time. According to the reactions of their comrades, however, this seemed to be a normal process.  
Yuhane asked immediately:

"What do you mean? I thought the Observer made the choice of who was allowed into a group and who wasn't".

Shimizu nodded and then answered:

"The Observer analyzes at any time, at any nanosecond, the inner balance of all grouping members. It also equally monitors the potential balance that one or more Kenshuusei would bring with them. On the basis of this it evaluates the data and checks whether changes need to be made. As soon as this is the case, the Observer informs us whether we should hold an audition or not."

Shiori twitched her eye and replied irritated:

"A-Audition? What is that?"

Shimizu nodded to her with a smile.

"An audition is a small competition among you grouping candidates. With this exam-like procedure, which I mentioned earlier, you can put what you have learned into practice. Since Grade Zero members rarely have the opportunity to perform challenging tasks as the large groupings do, it is difficult for the Observer to calculate the exact maximum potential of a promising candidate. That's why we conduct auditions to determine your exact potential."

The captain carefully lifted her index finger.

"Note that the whole thing is absolutely voluntary. No one forces you to audition. So if you don't feel prepared, no one will blame you if you step away from participation.

Under the table Shiori suddenly grabbed Reina's hand. The fifteen-year-old looked at the younger one. She seemed extremely nervous. Apparently she felt directly addressed by the words of Shimizu.

"The audition will be held at the beginning of December. So you have one month left. In order not to influence you too much in one direction, I cannot tell you exactly what abilities are being tested. The older ones among you can at least give you a rough idea of how the competition will proceed."

Excited whispering spread. As Reina noticed, it was probably a tradition that conspiracy theories were made about the topics of an audition. Shiori whispered hoarse to her:

"I-I can't do that, Reina. I'm not ready for it yet."

The person addressed smiled encouragingly at her.

"Don't worry, Shiori. You have a whole month to prepare. And even if we don't participate, we still have the next audition."

With a slightly dumbfounded expression on her face, the younger one nodded. Shimizu watched her protégés joyfully, clapped her hands loudly and finally said:

"Then we cleared it up! That went faster than I thought. Thank you for being here. Give Momochi a generous tip and then I hope you come home drier than before."

The two young women laughed heartily. A few Kenshuusei bowed in thanks. At last, sweets and pieces of cake were bought and eaten.  
Reina looked out of the window. The sun was setting already. The red fireball was only visible in fragments behind the houses of the town. Ayano also noticed that.

"We should leave now. I don't necessarily want to come home in the dark."

The other Kenshuusei heard the words and agreed with her. Quickly they packed all their things together. After they had said goodbye to the captain and the café owner, they stepped outside one by one, where at least the rain had finally stopped.  
Reina was the last to follow. She almost collided with a newly arriving group of guests. There were a minimum of ten people, but Reina was far too tired to look at their faces. She quickly made room for the party. When the last newcomer had finally entered the café, Reina could step outside. Suddenly a familiar smell was wafting around her nose. This sweet-bitter aroma seemed suspiciously familiar to her. She quickly turned around, but the café door had already locked itself.  
She tried hard to see through the window where the group was sitting.

"Reina! Are you coming?"

Discontented, she turned away. Ayano and Shiori waited for her together with the others. Shifted back and forth by the thought of entering the café again, Reina finally decided to turn around and follow her comrades. Even though she took a last look back at the beloved Café Buono.

 

 

 

 

The red sky was almost completely covered by the thick clouds which moved over the land and made the minds heavy. The summer time was definitely over, Kamiko thought. Slowly she walked through the alleys of the town. Barely any people were on the streets. This made it easy for the black-haired girl to carry out her self-imposed task.  
Since ANGERME had started the journey home and finally successfully reported their mission, Kamiko could not get rid of the unpleasant feeling that someone or something had followed them. However, since she could not feel any direct presence and had no other proof, the others had accused her of being overcautious. Take told her not to worry.  
The younger one wished she could share this relaxation. She herself didn't know exactly what it was that stirred her up inside. But at least she could check if she was wrong. After she had thoroughly examined the surrounding woods and meadow hills, only the town was left. She had spent the whole day scrutinizing every nook and cranny. Without success. No sign of a black soul.  
Although she should have been relieved, the thought of having found nothing worried her even more. Kamiko continued, lost in thought. Finally she heard a distant cry.

"Heeey! Aren't you from ANGERME?"

Surprised, the person looked up. At the other end of the street there was a group of people waving to her. It was the Kenshuusei. The little girl named Nishida Shiori had shouted joyfully at her. With a narrow smile on her lips, Kamiko approached the crowd.

"Oops, what are you doing here?"

The person named Nishida grinned when the ANGERME member arrived.

"We were at Café Buono."

The person she spoke to nodded knowingly and couldn't help but grin at the memory of the restaurant popular among the castle's inhabitants. Kana had already invited her group there several times. It was always an adventure.  
Takase asked curiously:

"What are you doing here alone? That doesn't resemble a member of ANGERME at all. I thought you were always travelling together."

Kamiko made a grimace and then replied jokingly:

"Not quite! Sometimes we are allowed to go to the toilet alone. It's rare, but the opportunity is there."

The group laughed. Maeda Kokoro spoke in an admirable tone:

"You're on your way home too, aren't you? W-Would you like to come with us, Kamikokuryo?"

The black haired girl took a short, thoughtful look behind her. Then she answered friendly:

"Sure, why not? It will be dark soon anyway."

At the same moment, her eyes fell on a person standing a little apart from her comrades. It was Yokoyama Reina. Kamiko's eyes narrowed to slits. She clearly felt that the girl was not feeling well in the presence of the others. What had happened there? At least Kamiko was happy that she was all right. And even better. Yokoyama radiated an inner strength that was incredible. The months of training had probably been particularly successful for her.  
The group started the walk towards home together. When they had left the town gates far behind and stepped up the gentle hills, a strong wind began to come up. The sun had almost completely disappeared behind the horizon and the first signs of the night were spreading.  
Ichioka was the first to notice:

"It's getting pretty cold right now. We should hurry."

The others nodded. Some of them were already jittering. Since the clothes of the whole group weren't really dry yet, the wet fabric stuck to their shivering bodies. They made hardly any progress and there was still a long way to go.  
From the nearby forest the first owl cries reached them. Otherwise only the wind could be heard, which was streaking in fast moves over the meadows.  
Nishida said trembling:

"I finally want to be in the castle. It's creepy out here."

Yokoyama grabbed her hand to give her some warmth. The younger one accepted the gesture gratefully. Meanwhile, Kaga stepped up to the preceding Kamiko and whispered in a serious tone of voice:

"I heard you can look inside a person and see the balance between body and mind. Is that right?"

Slightly surprised, Kamiko pulled her eyebrows up.

"That's about it, yes. Why do you ask?"

The short-haired woman hesitated for a moment, took a look at the distracted Reina and then asked with a fixed gaze:

"Can you look into Yokoyama and me and tell me which one of us is more in balance?"

Completely perplexed by this request, Kamiko didn't know at first what to answer. But when she saw the imploring sparkle in the supplicant's eyes, she lowered her head and spoke softly:

"What would happen if you learned that you are not the person with the greater balance? Wouldn't that break you?"

Kaga's face twitched briefly. She bit her lower lip slightly tense and then said:

"I need to know. That's the only way I can get better. Maybe I've done something wrong the last few years. I don't want to lose again."

The black haired one sighed. Without further ado she closed her eyes. All presences of the group and the closer environment entered her consciousness. She saw the potential of Kaga. She also saw the potential of Yokoyama. And then she saw something else...  
Suddenly she opened her eyes and whirled around. The Kenshuusei were all frightened. Kawamura interposed confusedly:

"What's the matter? What's wrong, Kamikoku...?"

But she couldn't finish asking the question. The little black-haired girl ran to the back of the group and spread her hands defensively in front of the youngsters. Then she screamed into the darkness:

"W-Who is there? Show yourself!"

At first there was silence. The wind still blew strongly through her hair. But no further noise was to be heard. Kamiko strained to fix a point behind them. Just as Ichioka was about to step on to the ANGERME member, she suddenly froze on the spot.  
A slight crackling and rustling could be detected. Slowly approaching footsteps wandered across the meadow. Then two schematic shadows set off from the darkness. Yokoyama's eyes instinctively widened. These were the two men with the raised collars. They had followed them and were now standing threateningly in front of them.  
Inoue screamed in panic:

"W-W-Who are you? What do you want? Get the hell out of here."

No reaction. Instead, the two men spread out their arms. Black leather gloves were visible. Kamiko felt a slight sting of fear coming up. But it wasn't until she looked them straight in the eyes that the fear began to rush through her entire body. The red gleam of her pupils was definite. The ashen, leathery skin on her face. The dark presence that surrounded her. Black souls.  
Yamazaki took a step forward and asked with a grumpy undertone:

"Who are the guys? Do they want trouble?"

Kamiko replied completely stunned and with an emotionless voice:

"They are Hunters. The most dangerous creatures in the world we know."

The older Kenshuusei and Reina all froze to a pillar of salt. The fifteen-year-old almost crushed even Nishida's hand, which, like Yamazaki and Kawamura, looked around irritated. Finally she asked anxiously:

"H-Hunters? Who are they?"

Her opponents still didn't move. But Kamiko had the feeling that this was only the lull before the storm. If only one of them made a careless movement, everything would be over.  
Ichioka swallowed heavily and answered Nishida with a hoarse voice:

"Hunters are pure killing machines. You can't escape them. They... They... They specialize in... wiping out life..."

With eyes wide open and nearly in tears, the remaining members of the 26th generation stared at the leader of the Kenshuusei. Kamiko could empathize with their feelings without having to look into their souls. They were all close to panic. Another false thought of only one Kenshuusei and the death march would begin.  
But it was too late. Nishida Shiori released herself from Yokoyama Reina and sprinted wildly screaming backwards. Like in slow motion Kamiko turned around, reached out her hand to the little Kenshuusei and screamed in horror:

"No! Don't!"

A gust of wind rushed by between the group members. Like a flash of lightning, an energetic field flickered around them. Then a cruel, deafening outcry followed. One of the Hunters had appeared just in front of Nishida. Blood splashed through the air. Warm red liquid was visible on the stunned faces of the nearby speckled ones. Then the youngest of them fell motionless to the ground.


	18. Fight for Survival

Reina saw Shiori's body crashing to earth, but her head did not realize what had happened. Immediately panic broke out among the group. Screams and shrieks filled the night. Her comrades split apart. ANGERME member Kamikokuryo Moe desperately tried to keep her protégés together.  
Mercilessly, the two Hunters rushed towards the young girls, like hungry wolves hovering over a flock of sheep. But instantly they collided with an invisible barrier. The recoil pushed them a few metres back. They had probably not expected such resistance.  
Kamikokuryo had pressed both hands together, closed her eyes tightly and created an energy field around her and the group. Ayano looked at her admiringly.

"This is amazing! You saved us."

But right away the mind user opened her eyes, fixed Ayano and Reina and screamed:

" GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

At the same moment a crackling noise tore the air apart. Both Hunters had raced towards the barrier at high speed and pierced it brachially. The two members of the 26th generation were frozen when one of their tall tormentors in his pitch-black coat appeared in front of them. Reina looked into the blood-red eyes. She felt the oppressive feeling as if death was looking directly into her heart. The Hunter slowly closed in for the kill with his right hand. She screwed up her eyes, as did Ayano, hoping it would be over as soon as possible.  
Suddenly, within a second, she banged on the hard meadow floor and was brutally shaken. But it was only the shock that got through her. She hadn't suffered any serious injury. Quickly she leaned on her arms and turned to the spot where she had just stood. Stunned, she stared at the person in front of her.  
Kaedi had powerfully pushed Reina and Ayano away and intercepted the Hunter's attack at the same time. Reina's mouth formed the word 'wow' without a voice.  
On the other side there was also a heavy bang. Blue energy salvos collided with purple burning blows. Kamiko did her best to keep one of the Hunters in check.  
Reina jumped up and gathered the newly learned inner powers. These strange creatures had caught her on the wrong foot. But she absolutely wanted to help.  
Her hands shimmered in a weak light. Then she ran towards the Hunter, who was stopped by Kaede. In the meantime Kaedi had received support from Kurumi and Icchan. But even the three of them didn't do anything against the far superior opponent. Almost playfully he broke through their defense and let Kurumi sweep across the meadow with a slide.  
In the same breath Reina jumped into the air. Kaede noticed this in horror and shouted:

"Don't do that!"

But the young Kenshuusei was unstoppable. With her fist in front she rushed towards her opponent. His eyes flashed for a short time. With a superhuman reaction he avoided the attack, grabbed Reina's wrist, hurled her once wildly through the air and then smashed her to the ground with brutal force. The impact echoed over the hills like a hammer blow. Massive dust stirred up. Kaede and Icchan looked at the result with trembling bodies. Reina didn't move anymore.

 

 

 

 

Kamiko had already reached the edge of her possibilities. Every shield she pulled up was torn down within milliseconds. She was too weak to protect all Kenshuusei and herself.  
When the violent impact hit her ears, her attention turned to the direction of the cruel event. Angrily she gritted her teeth when she saw Yokoyama. So the second Kenshuusei had fallen under her care. She would never forgive herself if she survived this.  
With a backflip she positioned herself in the center of the scattered group. At once she gained a better overview of the situation. Kamiko was not used to fighting on the front line. Normally Rikako, Take and Murotan took over this job. But their friends were not present. Now the smallest member of the group had to honour the name 'ANGERME' on their behalf.

"HA!"

With an outcry she unleashed all her mental energy. She let her fist hit the earth to create the balance between herself and the nature. The blue shimmering flow of crackling light surrounded her from head to toe.  
Both Hunters immediately turned their dark glances at the fighter and slowly stepped toward her. Kamiko's eye focus flew back and forth between the two individuals. She didn't know how long she would last. So she had to buy the Kenshuusei time before help arrived.  
At the same moment as the two evil presences determined to race towards her, Kamiko sent her consciousness out in all directions of the nearby environment. Shortly before the collision, she smiled softly and said intently:

"Too bad! I thought I would reach the castle. I am such a weakling..."

Whole tufts of grass and mud flew through the air in a high arc. The clash of the Hunters and Kamiko had the impact of a bomb. The shock wave knocked over most Kenshuusei. Hardly any of them could stand on their feet. Kaga held her hand in front of her face and blinked convulsively.  
The Hunters treat Kamiko in the worst possible way. They bashed her violently into the air, only to smash her back at almost the same moment. But Kamiko did not give up. She fought back with all her might. Broken limbs. Open wounds. All this had no meaning. She had to hold out. Her body was almost completely destroyed after a very short time. Only her powerful spirit kept her on her feet. All concentration was directed at supporting her movements and keeping her consciousness awake. She had to withstand. Just persevere.

"W-W-W-We have to help h-her..."

Kaede turned to the brittle voice on her right. It was Yokoyama. She had survived. Straightaway the other Kenshuusei rushed to her and Nishida, who also cried, but stirred alive on the ground.  
Yamazaki of all people was the first to reach them. She had tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry... I... I... I was stupid... I..."

Yokoyama stood up in extreme pain but managed to give her generation mate a gentle smile.

"Don't worry, Yuhane. We can talk later. Now we have to help our friend."

Kaga and Inoue helped Nishida up. The shorthaired one spoke seriously:

"We do nothing against these creatures. In the worst case we only stand in her way."

Suddenly Kamiko screamed panicfully to them:

"Woe betide you to interfere. Stay away. You better flee."

A terrible sound signaled that a Hunter had punched her in the face with full power. Without intercepting herself, she slammed into the ground. Instead, the black haired one trembled on the ground. Screams of pain came out of her throat almost distorted. Then she spat blood.

 

 

 

 

Quick as a flash Reina released herself from the grip of Yuhane and sprinted to the tormented one. The body of the small figure had to be completely destroyed. She had fought so bravely for people to whom she was completely unknown. Reina couldn't watch this girl sacrifice herself for her.  
One of the Hunters ran towards Kamiko lying on the ground. Reina jumped both arms ahead towards her comrade and rolled to the side with her. At the same moment Reina heard an ear-splitting crack at the spot where Kamiko had just been lying. As she turned her gaze to the side, she stared in horror at the fissure in the earth. These Hunters possessed powers beyond imagination.  
But Reina's evasive action had worked. Encouraged by this rescue operation, the other Kenshuusei let battle cries pelt down on the evil creatures and ran to them at a rapid tempo to distract them from the two girls lying on the ground.

"Yokoyama... disappear... please..."

Reina looked into the cat-like, brown eyes. Tears ran down the young face of the person beneath her. She was covered in dirt and had countless wounds. But still the person named Kamiko managed to smile.

"I would have loved to see you join ANGERME. You would be perfect. Simply perfect..."

Reina, surprised by these unexpected words, looked at her with big eyes.

"W-What... thank you... but..."

Kamiko wanted to raise her hand, but immediately she gave a painful wheeze. She couldn't move a single bone. Her helper carefully straightened herself up and gently laid her in the soft grass. Although insecurities accompanied her, Reina smiled trembling.

"You helped us. Now we help you. Just stay down. We will do our best."

Kamiko did not answer, but her glance revealed that she no longer had hope.  
Reina turned her back to her, clenched her hands to fists and stepped back onto the battlefield.  
As she walked across the meadow, to her left and right, she spotted a few other Kenshuusei rolling on the floor in pain and tears. Maeda Kokoro whimpered and stretched out her hand to her.

"R-Reina. Run away! Run away! Don't go there..."

The dark-haired one didn't answer. She was far too horrified by the sight in her field of vision. How could it have come to this? A few hours ago they were still sitting in Café Buono and their only concern was to choose which last sweet they wanted to eat. Was this the end of it? Before the journey had even begun? The young girl did not want to accept that.  
Ear-splitting cries echoed into the sky. Icchan and Ayano both fell equally. Yuhane and Dambara collapsed. Reina's eyes filled with tears. Why? Why did this have to be happening here? What was the meaning for this? They all just wanted to survive the therapy, didn't they? Why were such monsters created for this world?  
While thousands of thoughts and questions chased through her head, she picked up more and more speed. In the end, she set off on a tremendous dash. Just as one of the evil men hit Kaede with a violent blow, Reina caught her from behind so that her comrade would not suffer any damage from the impact on the ground. The captured girl leaned on the younger for a short moment with her eye pinched. Then she mumbled:

"Thank you."

Reina smiled lovingly.

"You are my friend. I have to protect you."

Kaede looked at her for a short moment, then the otherwise stubborn short-haired one grinned.

"Then let's go down together."

Reina replied cheerfully:

" I' d be glad to."

And with these words they simultaneously repelled themselves from the ground. The two Hunters pointed their shimmering red eyes directly at the two arrivals. They were the last to stand. Should Reina and Kaga fall, this would mean the end of the fight and their certain death.  
The fists of the two girls lit up. The Hunters countered the attack, but the two Kenshuusei had only faked this. Absolutely synchronously they whirled around their own axis and struck instead with a rolling kick, which aimed at the legs of the opponents.  
The Hunters seemed to have expected it anyway. A jump cancelled the tactic of their foes. But they used the momentum of their rotation and pushed themselves off the ground once more to follow the killers in the air.  
A black energy was suddenly sent out by one of the dark creatures and rebounded Reina and Kaede. Just so they could catch themselves with their feet on the ground, in order not to suffer any consequential damage.  
Kaede swore:

"Shit! That was definitely nothing."

Reina took up fighting position again and said motivated:

"But we have to go on. If we are defeated, it is all over for us."

Her comrade gave her a quick look, then she replied:

"I know."

Instantly they set out on another attack. But this time the Hunters didn't want to play the game. They also made themselves prepared for an attack. Shortly after the push off the ground, the black men dashed towards the two Kenshuusei with an incredible speed. The girls had not expected such a reaction. They tried to absorb the impact in panic. But for nothing. A Hunter hit Reina directly at her chest. The other one shredded Kaede's back completely. The collision was filled with screams of pain.  
Reina almost blacked out. Her hard impact on the ground was followed by a purgatory of agony. Blind pain electrified her entire body. She pressed her hand onto her chest, exactly where the Hunter had hit her. A gaping wound revealed itself to her. Within seconds her hands were covered in blood.  
Well, that was it! That was the end, Reina thought. There was no escape. They had no chance of victory. All will to fight was extinguished. The Hunters would come and give one after the other the coup of grâce. So that was the end of their journey. It was shorter than expected. Reina had hoped to be allowed to join at least one grouping. She felt honored by Kamikokuryo's wish to welcome her to ANGERME. But after everything she had heard from Goto Maki and read in the countless books in the library, it was something else that had formed deep in Reina's heart. Their dream had been to join the greatest of all groupings: Morning Musume!  
Every fiber of her being wanted to be part of this wondrous team. Reina knew that only Morning Musume lived up to her expectations. The fact that she was to die here and now was not so bad at all. It only showed that she was not worthy to let her fiction become reality.  
She opened her eyes strained. The night sky was clear. The stars sparkled brightly. The moon had already risen far above the horizon and looked down to them all. Whether he was sad at the sight of such a massacre? Reina wondered about this strange thought. Were these the first signs that her brain was slowly turning off? Admittedly, dying didn't feel as bad as expected. The pain subsided. Her muscles relaxed. Even an inner calm slowly spread through her body. Only the glaring glow around her was somehow expected from her. Probably that was now the ascent to heaven. Even the Hunters seemed to show mercy and did not move.  
…  
Wait a minute. That actually didn't feel like she was dying at all. And 'mercy' was not exactly the word Hunters used.  
Abruptly she straightened up. At the same time a strong wind blew. Several gusts passed her close by. The Hunters inexplicably stepped back.  
Suddenly a person accompanied Reina. The young girl looked up. Above her stood a young woman with full, long, wavy hair. Her round face had a motherly look on it and she had put her hand on Reina's shoulder.

"Well done! From now on we take over."

Without an explanation Reina possessed all her energy restored. It was a miracle. She felt like a newborn.  
When the woman who had appeared moved in the direction of the Hunters, Reina noticed that nine other people had already taken up positions there. The moonlight shone down on them. The longish shadows stretched far over the meadow hills.  
And then Reina noticed it. This smell. The sweet-bitter aroma, which reminded her so strongly of cherry blossoms.

"It's nice to see you again in one piece."

Another young woman walked happily past her. It was the person she had met in the castle. With eyes wide open Reina stuttered:

"Who... Who are you? Who are you all...?"

The girl she spoke to turned around laughing, ran backwards and stretched her arms out. Then she called to Reina:

"My name is Oda Sakura. And, oh yes, we are Morning Musume."


	19. Chapter 19

Entirely frozen, Reina stood on the meadow hills. Everything seemed so surreal. A few seconds ago her whole body was burning and she had already accepted death. Now she could stand upright, all her wounds were healed and every pressure was gone from her as if nothing had ever happened. How was that possible? Was that the power of Morning Musume?   
The eleven figures in front of her were wrapped in black leather and fur. Their clothes had something animal about them. Yet they radiated such magical elegance, harmony and strength. Reina began to tremble in reverence. They were the ones. The greatest of all groupings. The queens of Haven. Morning Musume.   
Even the Hunters had to feel that no ordinary people stood between them and their prey. In contrast to the fight with the Kenshuusei, the black men seemed far more reserved and passive.   
The young woman who had touched Reina on the shoulder stepped up to the front of the group and raised her voice: 

"You have no right to wander on this territory. In addition, You injured our comrades intentionally to inflict irreparable damage to them. This is unforgivable. In the name of the Haven, we must now wipe you out." 

Reina was not sure if the Hunters really understood what they were told. If they did, they didn't seem particularly impressed by the words.   
That's why Morning Musume formed and each one of the group took a fighting position. And already the battle started again.   
What happened in front of Reina's eyes was unbelievable. Quite different from the uncoordinated attacks of the Kenshuusei, the members of Morning Musume moved in such perfect patterns. Not one step too much. No rotation unnecessary. The spokeswoman and the person named Oda Sakura made up the centre of the attack waves. Every time they supported their teammates with wave-like outbursts of spiritual power, Reina's soul trembled at the same time. If she hadn't completed the training with Goto Maki, she would probably have fainted again by now.   
But even more fascinating was the frontline, which met the hunters straightaway. A young woman just as tall as Reina whirled around in such a graceful way as if there were no tomorrow. Her kicks, blows, evasive maneuvers, pirouettes, somersaults and every other movement left the impression of a goddess for the fifteen-year-old. But every other member was also impressive in their own way. They fought the Hunters like the monsters were amateurs. The evil beings didn't land a hit. The combination of stormy attack and protective support worked flawlessly.   
Suddenly Reina remembered that she had completely forgotten her Kenshuusei comrades. She looked around in horror. Then she gave a sigh of relief. They were all as healthy as she was and watched the fight with bated breath.   
The eyes of the dark-haired one tried to locate Kamikokuryo. When she spotted her, her face brightened and she ran to her. The ANGERME member had stood up. Nothing could be seen of her almost fatal injuries and fractures. Yet the little person seemed exhausted.   
Reina bent down to her worriedly. 

"Are you all right, Kamikokuryo?" 

The addressed one smiled faintly. 

"Call me Kamiko." 

Reina grinned joyfully.

"Okay... Kamiko!"

The younger one let herself fall next to her comrade, so that she could continue to witness the fight that was still raging in front of them.   
A Hunter had just been completely pierced by a girl with a short haircut. She had a slight similarity to Kaede.   
Reina began to say admiringly:

"Morning Musume is incredible."

Kamiko resignedly closed her eyes, but grinned.

"Yes, they are, unfortunately."

The younger one turned to her in consternation.

"Why 'unfortunately'?"

Kamiko laughed, but didn't answer immediately. She swung her arms around her knees and watched the renewed outbreak of the battle against the last opponent, who resisted the impending destruction with all his power.   
Then, without looking at Reina, the black-haired girl answered quietly:

"You would have become a really great member for ANGERME. But you will be an even more wonderful member for Morning Musume. You have the strength and the will."

Reina stared at her perplexed and blushed slightly. But she didn't reply.   
A loud noise sounded and a small explosion followed. The young woman in the center shouted resolutely:

"Maria, Eripon! Now! This is your chance!"

The two mentioned, a tall girl with long dark hair bundled in a ponytail and a young woman with a narrow face, a striking chin and shoulder-length brown hair, reacted within seconds.

"Aye, Leader!"

Suddenly they shot apart and flanked the Hunter. He was magically captured by a girl whose pony fell deep into her face as her black hair swirled wildly, with resounding, jingling laughter.

"This is really fun!"

Immediately the two persons named Maria and Eripon rushed from the side towards the dark being. They gathered energy in their fists and struck at the same time. A bombastic blast wave arose. Finally the shattering, distorted cry of the Hunter followed. Then it was over.   
Silence.   
Seconds later, the members of Morning Musume began to celebrate. Within a very short time they had taken the two opponents to the afterlife. Reina could not believe her eyes.   
Also the other Kenshuusei were aghast at what had happened. They were indeed saved. They lived. Slowly this information reached their brains.   
And suddenly they all jumped into the air at the same time. They screamed with joy. They cried. They hugged each other. It was an unbelievable feeling that spread among them.   
Reina and Kamiko stood up. The ANGERME member was still a little shaky on her legs. No wonder, because for a short time her entire spinal cord had been severed.   
As quickly as possible, the tormented ones ran to their rescuers. All Kenshuusei including Reina and Kamiko joined Morning Musume. Maeda Kokoro had tears in her eyes when she spoke:

"Thank you! Thank you for saving our lives. We are forever in your debt. That was just crazy."

The members of the group grinned happily at each other. Suddenly a loud voice was heard from the background.

"Kaedi! Icchan! You are well up! Maria is so happy!"

The tall girl with the ponytail stormed forward and embraced both the surprised shorthaired one as well as the laughing Kenshuusei leader. Some, including the entire 26th generation, were completely taken by surprise. Kurumi grinned:

"They belong to one generation. Unbelievable that Makino Maria from Morning Musume would so easily flung her arms around our pigheads neck."

The tall, young woman with the beautiful hair and the round face approached Kamiko.

"Actually we all have to thank you, Moe. You were unbelievable."

The face of the addressed person brightened straight away.

"Thank you, Fukumura."

The Kenshuusei turned now also to the ANGERME member. Shiori's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"You were the best, Kamikokuryo."

Yuhane agreed with her:

"Without you, we would have been dead by now."

The others, too, could no longer stop singing praises. Kamiko seemed extremely embarrassed and scratched her head in discomfort. She didn't know how to deal with the situation.   
Reina grinned at both ears. She looked from one person to the next. She gazed at the clothing of the Morning Musume members. She paid attention to all their movements. She listened to every word spoken. The teasing togetherness. The solidary pat on the back. The congratulations.   
Reina wanted to belong so eagerly to them. She wished it so intensely. She wanted that...

"Hey, you! What's your name?"

The girl named Oda Sakura had suddenly stepped next to her and caught her completely on the wrong foot. Completely shocked, Reina began to stutter:

"Um... I... Yoko... uh... Yoko... Yokoyama Reina..."

The Morning Museum member laughed with such a clear voice. She was as tall as Reina, but her presence felt so gigantic and pure. Oda continued happily:

"So Yokoyama. Hmm..."

For a brief moment she put a finger to her head and thought sharply. Then she raised the same index finger and her face turned into a knowing expression.

"Your name is Yokohime from now on."

A roaring laughter came from the side. The person with the short haircut, who showed slight similarities to Kaede, gasped for breath while laughing:

"You can't name her after our Fukuhime. There is only one ruler. You know that, you fool."

Her voice had a slightly hoarse ending, but Reina liked it. Oda pulled her face to an insulted grimace.

"That's mean, Duu. Our leader really takes away every title."

The young woman named Fukumura screwed up one eye.

"It's fine by me if you just call me Mizuki."

The girl with the shrill laughter stepped in. Her voice had something squeaky about it.

"Wait a minute! You are our leader! And an excellent one on top of that! So you are also titled as such. Whether it suits you or not".

Oda stomped on the floor, then pointed to Reina, who had followed the whole conversation completely confused, and then said grumpy:

"Then make your own suggestion, Maachan. I want a nickname for her. She fought to the end. I like her."

The shorthaired one with the name Duu raised her voice again.

"What was her name? Yokoyama? Then from today on she is called... Yokoyan! That sounds good. Don't you think so?"

Oda adorned her face with a charming smile when she shouted happily:

"Oh yes! That's perfect."

But Reina intervened immediately. Through this special treatment she was afraid that the other Kenshuusei would get mad at her again.

"Um... wait a minute! We all fought. Not only me. That's-that's... That's not possible... Kaede here has with me until the end..."

Promptly the protest came from Makino Maria, who had still embraced her arms around Icchan and Kaede, because both of them could not free themselves from the grip.

"Kaedi remains Kaedi! She doesn't get a new nickname. Maria likes Kaedi!"

The little woman who fought at the frontline stepped forward nodding and smiling.

"We know that you have all given your best. You can't imagine how proud we are of our Kenshuusei as Morning Musume."

Reina heard Kokoro whisper reverently to Ayano:

"This is Ishida Ayumi. She is an elite energy user. It is said that her body control even strains the actual possibilities of the system behind Hello!Project Online."

The woman named Ishida Ayumi had probably heard this because she had to laugh. But she didn't speak up against it.   
Reina wanted to learn more about the grouping. She felt it was impolite to ask everyone for their name. So she tried to memorize every person who had stayed in the background. On the one hand there was a girl with a really beautiful and tender face. Then there was a quite tall, slender woman whose hair even reached to her waist. Next to her stood a girl smiling who exposed two sweet incisors that were almost pushed in front of her lips like a bunny. Immediately afterwards followed the young woman with the prominent chin, whom Fukumura had called Eripon in battle. And then there was the apparently youngest of the group. She had extremely well-groomed hair and a strong look.   
Fukumura Mizuki gave her comrades a sign of slow departure. Then she waved the Kenshuusei and Kamiko towards her and spoke:

"This has been a turbulent evening. We don't know why the Scouts were here or what they..."

Yuhane butted in, confused:

"Stop! Scouts? I thought they were so-called Hunters?"

Slightly irritated, Fukumura looked at her comrade named Eripon. The young woman with the striking chin said in a serious tone of voice:

" To some extent you met Hunters. But this was the somewhat less dangerous subgenus."

Ayano's jaw fell down.

"Subgenus? Less dangerous? What does that mean?"

The shrill voice of the person named Maachan sounded again.

"If you'd met the main species, Kamikokuryo wouldn't have been able to protect you for a second or even send their signal."

Everyone turned around confused. Signal? What kind of signal?   
Fukumura struck a motherly note and smiled gently.

"We were just coming out of Café Buono when we were sensing the presence of Moe. It was the panic signal that group members sent to each other when they were in danger. That's why we reacted so quickly and came here as fast as we could."

Kamiko had been silent, but the Kenshuusei now admired her that much more. Especially because each one of them knew because of the mind training with Goto Maki that sending out their own consciousness as a cry for help was an elementary part of the first degree of rehab, but that it needed incomprehensible concentration. To bring it up within such a dilemma required a damn powerful will.   
Yuhane turned again to Morning Musume and wanted to know:

"What are these Scouts now? And why do we mistake them for these evil Hunters?"

Ishida Ayumi made a hand movement to signal that everyone should calm down.

"Strictly speaking, Scouts are Hunters. But if you take a chessboard to your mind, you would consider them pawns. They are still chess pieces, but serve mainly for tactical purposes. They cannot fight in theory. Their strength lies in stealth. They use all their given abilities to not be tracked down. The information they receive then is passed on to the really nasty boys."

The Kenshuusei had listened to the lecture half excited, half frightened. So these Scouts weren't even trained in combat. And they had all failed miserably. How strong would be the real Hunters then?   
Kamiko, on the other hand, had become suspicious of the word 'stealth'. She heard the term 'Scout' for the first time. So perhaps the Black Souls had not found a remedy against her in particular. Perhaps it was simply the strength of these ominous beings not to be discovered by her. She had to share this knowledge with the other ANGERME members.   
Once again Fukumura made the sign for departure.

" It is getting really late. We will have to tell the Supremes about this incident. Hunters have never dared to come so close to our land before."

Maachan answered teasingly:

"I think we've also shown very successfully why they'd been better off staying away so far."

The leader of the group made a thoughtful face and Reina noticed the worry lines on the otherwise so beautiful double eyelids.   
Then they finally made their way together to the castle. Only the torn earth crust on the highest point of the meadow hills reminded one of what had happened a short time ago.


	20. Judge's Chamber

Darkness. Wafting all-absorbing darkness. The room was filled with this absolute blackness. One felt constricted. Alone. Locked away from all living and existing. It didn't seem to be a place where bliss or joy would make the shimmer of hope glow again. And yet here, in exactly this room full of darkness, the great decisions of the Haven were made.  
The young woman who pondered about those thoughts sat on a hard wooden chair on one side of the wall. The place was called the 'Judge's Chamber'. It was the direct link to the real world. Here one spoke to the three Supremes of Hello!Project Online when important decisions had to be made. However, it cost a lot of effort to enter this room at all.   
Normally it was the duty of the leader of each group to visit the Judge's Chamber after a mission and to ask for an audience. Then the same procedure usually followed over and over again. The leader gave a lecture in front of the three blurred appearances, which were projected straight from reality into the virtual being. The blackened persons behind strictly interpreted every spoken word and took syllable by syllable with a pinch of salt. If there were missing information in the reporting, questions were asked. Some were easy to answer. Others were extremely troublesome. In the end, it always came down to the Supremes withdrawing for a few minutes to consult. Then one sat on the chair and left oneself alone to the silence and darkness. The waiting was unbearable. Finally, when the flickering images of the hidden rulers of this world appeared in front of you again, there was the final judgement about the success or failure of the mission. Thereby one always had the feeling as if standing before a court and waiting for conviction or absolution. Of course, every time in the hope of the last-mentioned.  
If a given subject, mission, or received information was important enough to be shared with all the leaders of the Haven, the Council of the Supremes convened the so-called meeting as soon as possible. The young woman shook her head at the thought. Such kind of meeting looked like that in this very moment. The main speaker presented the given situation. In this case it was Fukumura Mizuki, leader of Morning Musume. As a result, the problem was identified by the Supremes: Two Scouts attacked the almost entirely assembled Kenshuusei troop and a grouping member in the area around the Haven.   
Then a quick and efficient solution was to be worked out by the involved listeners. All participating speakers were spread out in the same room, the Judge's Chamber, but each one had the impression to be cut off from the others and to sit alone in the eternal darkness. If someone raised the voice to express an opinion, it was always a break in the listener's perception. What the reason behind this measure was, none of them had yet been able to uncover.  
The person folded her elongated fingers into each other and breathed in and out slowly. She was relieved that she had not been the speaker herself. She was also happy with the news that all the victims of last night had survived well.  
After the brief silence that had reigned, the whistling, tinny voice of a Supreme resounded. Because of the abnormal distortion of the images, which shone so brightly in front of them but did not cast any light into the room, one never knew which of the three spoke definitively. Only the tone-pitches they produced made it clear that they had to be really different individuals.

"Wada, how could it be that no one had noticed these Scouts?"

The interviewee answered in a strong tone of voice a little further to the left of the young woman.

"I owe you an apology. Kamikokuryo Moe, a victim of yesterday's crime and our tracking talent, had told us several times that something was wrong. She felt that we were being persecuted on our way home a few weeks ago. However, she could not determine why she felt this way."

A deeper, mechanically influenced voice answered her angrily:

"We already know about the naivety of ANGERME. It's not your first failure because of your recklessness. The mistakes are increasing, Wada."

The woman felt the person named Wada Ayaka trying to stay calm.

"I understand. We will make sure this doesn't happen again."

The whistling Supreme spoke quickly:

"You are responsible, Wada. It would be a shame if we had been wrong about you."

The rustling at the side meant that Wada Ayaka had quietly sat down.  
The third voice, slightly hoarse and older than the others, turned to the former speaker.

"Fukumura, how did the Kenshuusei stand up to the Scouts?"

The leader of Morning Musume hesitated briefly. Then she answered in a motivated way:

"They defended themselves well. None of them gave up. It made me proud of the strong will with which they fought."

The deep voice spoke coldly:

"But they went down terribly. What a disappointment. What is the use of having the heart in the right place when there is a lack of abilities? Perhaps it would have been better if some of them had not recovered. Perhaps you should consider this next time you share your life energy with them, Fukumura."

The young woman sighed when she noticed that the convict faltered in horror at these words with no reply in return. She knew exactly what was going on in the leader's head. How could these guys create such a negative aura. Unfortunately, they were the ones who made sure that the therapy was supervised from the outside. So it wouldn't be smart to rebel against them. Therefore, both Wada Ayaka and Fukumura Mizuki, individuals who, in the young woman's opinion, deserved the highest respect, accepted any reprimand from the Supreme in silence and with bravery.

"Miyazaki..."

The young woman was frightened. Why was she suddenly called? The whistling voice had addressed her directly.

"Miyazaki, your group had tracked down and destroyed a Scout in Sole two months ago."

The person in question stood up with shaky legs, but her tone was clear and determined.

"That's right. We followed him across the plains of Haul to the Ilwyd Woods. There we split up. After all, it was Miyamoto Karin who hunted the Scout down all alone."

Immediately she heard the quick scratching of a chair and Fukumura's tentatively protesting voice:

"That's not fair. We grouping members are much better prepared for fighting such monsters. The Kenshuusei were not to blame for their failure."

The woman named Miyazaki nodded approvingly and said quickly:

"I agree with her. Miyamoto is an exceptional talent. She would..."

The hoarse Supreme commanded promptly:

"Quiet, Fukumura, Miyazaki. You do not have the right to bring such an assertion into the room. We will discuss whether we should intensify the training measures and selection procedures of the Grade Zero in the future."

Suddenly a person from the opposite side gave the audience a shout. Her calm, pleasant voice felt like balm for the soul of Miyazaki.

"I don't think we should all get all crazy. Instead, we leaders need to realize that each of our decisions has consequences. None of us is without fault. Yet we have talented girls in our ranks. Both in the groupings and among the Kenshuusei. We should show them that we take them seriously so that they can develop their abilities freely. Only by this means we are able to protect them from evil in the world."

There was clapping from another corner of the room. Someone applaused. Then the respectful male voice from the headmaster of the academy sounded:

"Well spoken, Yajima. As it should be for the highest leader of the groupings. I fully support you. The Kenshuusei and every single member of the Haven need to be encouraged instead of sorted out. The more talents we have in our own ranks, the better we can defend ourselves against the approaching threat."

The Supreme with the deep tone grumbled unhappily:

"So the way I hear it, you're against our idea of tightening the criteria for joining and advancing in Grade Zero. Do I understand that correctly, Tsunku, Yajima?"

Miyazaki admired the two brave people in silence. If anyone dared to speak out against the Supremes, those were the two. Even in this darkness one could feel their presence so strongly.  
Tsunku answered in a positive way:

"I even think that we should lower the criteria. It is not the task of the Kenshuusei to fence our battles. Instead, as qualified people, we should make sure that the young girls do not lose anything. Nor the chance of a second life."

These words had a certain weight. Miyazaki liked it when Tsunku brought up the argument about the importance of the therapy. He repeatedly managed to convey the feeling that there was nothing more important in the world than the successful completion of the project. And Miyazaki was absolutely convinced that this was exactly what he meant to be.  
The three Supremes did not seem to be satisfied with the headmaster's statement. Nevertheless, they knew that it was difficult to discuss this topic with Tsunku. The whistling voice sounded thoughtful:

"We will observe this matter. Should such an incident occur again, clear action must be taken. Irrespective of whether you like it or not, Headmaster Tsunku."

Miyazaki heard the rustling of the clothes. The addressed person seemed to bow deeply, because he said:

"Thank you for your trust."

The eldest finally said threateningly:

"We have to find out what the Hunters are planning. It may well be that their servants made contact with them before they died. It may not have been a coincidence that they attacked our weakest ones. Especially because it is not usual for Scouts to appear in public. Yajima, Miyazaki. I want °C-ute and Juice=Juice to investigate this case. Leave as soon as you can."

The young woman stood up. She heard her comrade on the other side of the room resembling her. She bowed and was speaking simultaneously with Yajima in a respectful tone:

"Understood!"

The three Supremes spoke majestically as from one organ:

"You are dismissed."

At the same moment the Judge's Chamber began to flicker. The projections of the Supremes disappeared and bright light flooded the room. Without knowing what happened to her, the young woman suddenly found herself in a corridor outside. The other leaders as well as Tsunku stood right next to her. Even after so many years Miyazaki had not got used to it.

"Thank you for your support, Mizuki, Yuka."

Irritated to hear her name, Miyazaki turned to the tall Wada Ayaka. She had literally kneeled down in front of her and Fukumura. Totally perplexed, Miyazaki Yuka waved her hand before her face.

"No, no! You don't have to thank me. That went without saying. The Kenshuusei must be protected."

The leader of Morning Musume nodded energetically.

"Exactly! They are our future."

Tsunku also joined the conversation. Smiling, he looked at the kneeling ANGERME member.

"Get up, Ayaka. There is no reason for you to humiliate yourself like that. You are not to blame for what happened yesterday. Even if you feel that way."

The tall young woman got up with gratitude. The fourth person, Yajima Maimi, leader of °C-ute and highest leader of all groupings, gave them all an encouraging look.

"We fight every day for our survival. Let us show the old men that none of us, from Kenshuusei to the fifth grade, can let ourselves be defeated by such villainy as happened yesterday".

The other leaders agreed with her well motivated. All of a sudden when Yuka looked at the party, she noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's Momoko anyway?"

Yajima laughed at this remark.

"Momochi has once again enforced her own will. Instead of following the call of the meeting, she, after having heard about yesterday's accident, immediately ran to her own girls and took them on a training trip."

Horrified everyone present, except Tsunku, stared at her and shouted:

"WHAT?"

The headmaster, on the other hand, smiled and said amusedly:

"This can only imply that Country Girls will soon return even more powerful. Take care so that you don't fall behind. Momoko's sense of talent is probably more pronounced than my own."

His students nodded eagerly. Yuka enthusiastically raised her fist. Mizuki did the same. And Ayaka also followed the gesture. None of them wanted their own group to lose. They all took great pains day after day. That was the will of Hello!Project Online.

 

 

 

 

The shadows of the clouds were cast over the land surface. From time to time the hopeful shimmer of the sunlight appeared, which made the falling leaves shine in all their orange, brown and red tones. Autumn was a time of beauty, uniqueness and art.  
The girl with the long, smooth, brown hair and the slightly oversized nose breathed out liberally. She loved nature. Most of all, she would have wished to simply plop down and paint that which appeared in front of her so colourful and beautiful.  
Then little girls passed her left and right, who hit her on the back one after the other and laughed. One of them spoke in a bright, clear voice:

"Risa! You cannot just stand there. Next time you'll be knocked down."

At first, the brown-haired girl looked ahead in surprise. The girl with the high voice-tone had turned to her. Her fairylike appearance made Risa feel warm all over. It was too cute how she simply enchanted everyone in her immediate vicinity with her snow-white skin, the ebony hair that reached over her shoulders to almost her waist and the big, jutting ears.

"I think she took a wrong turn somewhere in her mind. Hello, Risa? Anyone home?"

A cheeky girl with a funny overbite and hair that bent just above her shoulders waved wildly before Risa's eyes. The addressed person pushed her comrade, who was definitely the smallest of them, away while laughing.

" Don't annoy her. That's mean."

The shyest team member rebuked the playful little ones with her dog-loyal eyes.

" It's very nice out here. Quite different than in the castle park."

The tallest of the group enjoyed the soft breeze. Particularly noticeable was her striking chin and short hairstyle.

"Hurry up! We have to get to the mountains before sunset. Let's go! Hopp! Hopp!"

The oldest among them happily strutted to the top and gave her five young girls the sign that they should follow her. The approached ones groaned, but their leader continued with a broad grin:

"Don't pretend to be tired. And moaning is not allowed either!"

With her arms stretched out far from her body, the senior walked confidently along the forest path. Her team members followed her. Only the girl with the long, brown hair stopped for a moment and stared happily to them.  
Once again she breathed deeply in and out. Then Yamaki Risa thought happily: This is her Country Girls!


	21. One Month

The light of the full moon shone through the windows of the high-lying tower. The sky was very clear. Every single star glowed so brightly, it made Reina think that the shining spots on the firmament would perform a competition of which one was the most beautiful.  
She sat on Shiori's bed and cuddled the head of the younger one. Shiori had fallen asleep on the lap of the comrade. Yuhane and Ayano leaned against the wooden frames of the four-poster bed. No one spoke a word.  
Three days had passed since the incident on the meadow hills. The teachers had given them off the coming days so that they could deal with their experiences. Goto Maki had offered each Kenshuusei to knock on her door at any hour if someone wanted to talk about a matter.  
Yuhane interrupted the silence of the night with a soft whisper:

"Reina. We didn't get to it yet, but I wanted to talk to you again."

The addressed person hesitated briefly. Since the attack they had all spent the given time for themselves. They had barely spoken to each other. They all walked through the Haven like ghosts. While there had been significant progress in the training and the big end in mind to join a group one day, the house of cards had collapsed for most of them now. The awareness of what dangers lurked out there and what monsters to face sooner or later, made almost all Kenshuusei insecure. It made the previous disputes and confrontations seem meaningless. Totally worthless and childish.  
Reina lifted her head and looked directly into Yuhane's eyes. Then she nodded gently. The person towards her started insecurely:

"It wasn't right from me how I treated you. I was jealous. Since we arrived here, I've been trying my best to gain the strength the teachers tell us about."

Yuhane even had to smile for a moment.

"Then you came and showed such miraculous progress. I had the feeling that you were five or six steps ahead in the time I was making one step. I didn't want to accept that. I understand that now."

Reina looked at her, surprised at this honesty.

"Yuhane, you don't need..."

The girl with the sail ears shook her head, balling her fists and spoke energetically:

"But I have done you wrong. It was about your health and I had understood that right away when you told us about it. But I couldn't... I didn't want to..."

Reina lowered her head sadly. She understood her comrade. She had a similar fate. Even though Reina was happy to spend time with her friends, she felt it too. Especially since encountering the Scouts, these thoughts burdened her like a curse. It was such an unspeakable pressure that dominated her inside. Night after night she dreamed how she was lying on the wet lawn, holding her chest in pain and her body being covered with blood. She was weak. But she didn't want to be weak. Never again!  
Suddenly she raised her head again and gave Yuhane a smile. The friend looked at her in surprise. The fifteen-year-old then spoke slowly and thoughtfully:

"We need to get better. We have to look up to Morning Musume. I don't want to be rescued anymore. I'd rather be able to protect my friends myself."

Yuhane returned the smile and stretched her hand forward. Then she stared at Reina expectantly and said determined: 

"We will make it. We become part of a group. And then no one will bring us to our knees anymore."

Reina was happy about the reconciliation and laid her hand on Yuhane's hand full of motivation.

"Oh yes! That is a promise!"

All of a sudden a third hand lay on the other two. Surprised, they turned to Ayano, who also returned the glances with fire in her eyes.

"Don't forget me. We'll go through this together! You can't get rid of me."

Reina's eyes sparkled happily with these words. And then something unexpected happened. Below her the small body of Shiori moved. The cute button eyes looked calmly at the fifteen-year-old. Then the smallest of them slowly raised her arm and touched the hands of the others with her fingertips. With a slight whimper she spoke:

"I am scared. I am not prepared. But I will. I will be there. I cannot follow you yet. Therefore I do not have the right to lay all my hand on yours. But I promise you that I will catch up to you. I promise you that..."

Reina, Yuhane and Ayano grinned at Shiori. It was a pact. A decided thing among the four. Together they aspired to greater things. And together they wanted to reach their goal.

 

 

 

 

Breathing heavily, Kaede made a spin. This resulted in a powerful kick. Snorting with effort she let her shoulders hang. Her breath rattled.  
Reina sat on the stand and watched her rival. For half an hour she had been pondering whether the trainee felt good or bad.  
Finally Kaede turned to her. Perplexed, Reina listened as the short-haired girl asked in a serious tone of voice:

"Do you want to take root there or will you finally dress up and help me?"

Reina's eyes widened. Kaga Kaede asked her, Yokoyama Reina, if she would like to train with her. And that on her own will!  
Quickly the younger one sprinted down the stairs of the stand. On the wall she reached for her bag and changed her clothes as fast as she could. Within a few seconds she stood next to Kaede and saluted grinning in front of her.

"I'm ready, mentor!"

Frowned, Kaede looked at her rival doubtfully. Might she have thought that the suggestion was not such a good idea after all?  
But Reina's positive charisma seemed like balm for Kaede's soul. Even a slight smile adorned her face. So the younger one said joyfully:

"You look cute when you laugh. You should do that more often, Kaedi."

The taller one was shocked and scared to the back. Then she hit the head of the fifteen-year-old with her fist. Reina held her head in pain with a tear in her eye.

"Ouch, what was that all about? I complimented you."

The woman stared confusedly at her fist. Then her eyes dropped on the younger one. Finally she spoke slowly:

"I'm sorry, R-R-Reina."

A second time the eyes of the small girl widened. Fascinated, she noticed:

"You called me Reina? You've never done this before."

Kaede scratched her head uncertainly and answered:

"That's what you notice? Not rather that I've never apologized to you before?"

Reina stared at her in amazement.

"Has there ever been a reason why you had to apologize to me?"

The eye of the older ones began to flutter as she thought about that question.

"Um, I don't know. I... uh..."

Without going into details, Reina went into a training posture and called out excited:

"Let's get started. Or are you too exhausted?"

Completely overwhelmed by this change of heart, the bigger one replied:

"What are you, girl?"

But still she went over to the same posture and grinned inspired:

"We have a lot to do."

Reina nodded laughing.

"Oh yes! It's still a month until the audition."

Thereupon Kaede said with a focused look:

"If we remain as weak as before, we don't need to be seen there at all. Whatever group needs new members, we will be a reinforcement."

Reina smiled at both ears and looked at herself and Kaede in the mirror. It wasn't known for which grouping the audition was held, but the promise she had made to Yuhane, Ayano and Shiori last night, as well as the union with Kaedi that now had manifested, gave her the wondrous feeling that she had a great time ahead of her. Now she had to do her best to make this dream come true. After all, she never wanted to be a millstone on anyone's neck again. For no one.  
The radiant glow of a glaring flame pierced her innermost. Her soul burned with determination. Soon she would conquer this world. That was clear to her from that moment on. For good.

 

 

 

 

The shattering sound of a glass was loud and clear to hear. Then hasty steps followed. Finally, what had just been smashed in the living room was swept up and thrown away. Once again one heard the rapid trampling of feet across the hall.  
Kamiko listened to what was happening in the ANGERME common room next door. She had locked herself in her room and lay motionless on the bed.  
Then she heard screams:

"MUROTAAAN! THAT WAS OUR LAST GLASS. YOU'RE GOING TO BUY NEW ONES, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

The answer came from the hallway at a similar volume:

"YEEEES, AKARI! I DO! BUT YOU HAVE TO COME WITH ME, OKAY?"

Take screamed back confused:

"WHY WOULD I DO THAT?"

The chaos queen replied:

"BECAUSE OTHERWISE I MIGHT FORGET I SHOULD BUY GLASSES AND COME BACK WITH COOL CLOTHES INSTEAD."

For a short moment there was silence. Only the quiet swearing of Take from the Lounge was noticable. But then it started again and the girl with the fiery red hair screamed:

"WELL, IF NEEDS MUST! BUT WE BETTER NOT..."

Kamiko jumped up, ran to her door, tore it open and shouted her head off:

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO TALK ALL OVER THE HALL?"

Suddenly she noticed her reaction and stared shocked by herself to the left and right, where Take and Murotan were. Both chaotic ones looked at her. Then they snorted with joy and Take said:

"What kind of action was that now, Kamiko?"

Murotan also died of laughter.

"That's right, why are you shouting like that? We understand everything, don't we?"

Kana immediately opened the opposite door, rubbed her eyes and spoke discontentedly:

"Kamiko, why are you so noisy? I slept so well."

The smallest one stared at her in disbelief, but while Take and Murotan were hammering on the floor yelling in laughter, Kana began to grin smugly. She just wanted to tease Kamiko.  
Then they heard the entrance door snapped shut and Ayaka came along with Rikako, Kassa, Rina and Maho in tow.  
Murotan immediately asked curiously:

"Oh, there you are! Well? How did they react?"

The leader of ANGERME took the jackets of her companions and hung them up before answering resignedly:

"°C-ute received our information regarding the masked stranger. Maimi didn't seem entirely convinced that our wanted person was connected to the Scouts."

Take had calmed down in the meantime and now made a thoughtful face.

"It's strange that we are asked to find this weird woman to bring her here, and as a result we suddenly come into contact with Hunters we've never seen before in this area. That can't be a coincidence."

Ayaka nodded carefully.

"You're right, I think so too. We have to be more cautious in the future."

Rina walked to her room door and haughtily said:

"I hope your motivation doesn't just come from the fact that the Supremes light a fire under you."

The leader ignored the cut. Instead, she turned her attention to Kamiko. The younger one instinctively retreated a bit. But then her leader smiled.

"I am so sorry, Kamiko. I trust you just as much as anyone else here. ANGERME made a fool of themselves by ignoring the concerns of our own members. As the leader of this group, I will not allow that to happen anymore. I hope you forgive me."

Shocked, the smallest saw the person she respected so much bowing to her. Kamiko immediately waved her arms in denial.

"Please don't do that, Ayaka. I wasn't sure about that by myself. I could have been wrong too."

Rikako took a step forward and said with a smile:

"I rather believe that we must slowly accept that you are only mistaken when you are asked a question by our teachers."

Everyone laughed at that comment. Murotan replied exuberantly:

"You of all people say that, Rikako? ISomebody talks too big, right?"

The person she spoke to opened her mouth and eyes in horror and couldn't believe what she heard. But since there was a lot of truth in the statement, the team members were all the more amused.  
This was a typical ANGERME conversation, Kamiko thought. No matter how serious the topic was they discussed, they always ended with jokes and joy. The comrades already knew how to make sure of that.  
Kana happily clapped her hands and suggested:

"Now we all go shopping for glasses together and then we have a little cocktail party. What do you think?"

At once they all were in for a surprise. They enthusiastically agreed to the proposal.  
The members quickly changed their clothes in their rooms and just wanted to start off. But Kamiko held Take, Murotan and Rikako while the others were already stepping out the door.  
Murotan stared at the little black-haired girl with tension.

"What's the matter, Kamiko?"

The other two also looked at her expectantly. Kamiko nervously bit her lower lip. Then she plucked up the courage to say without further ado:

"Please train me! I really want to be able to fight with my whole body!"


	22. Observation

The dust stinged her nose. The tingling was unbearable, but she had to be quiet. This was of utmost importance. If she made even a noise, her hiding place would be discovered.  
Slowly she crawled through the blackness of the attic. The young woman named Miyazaki Yuka tried to avoid the creaking of the planks. Fortunately, she spent the third guard at this place and knew by now exactly which plank was loose. Because the house she was in seemed very old anyway, and the bending and cracking of the walls and floors could be heard all the time, the additional strange noises from the roof did not matter. Nevertheless, Yuka wanted to avoid drawing attention to herself as much as possible.  
She felt her upper arms going numb. She had been lying on her stomach for about half an hour, leaning on her limbs. It was by no means a comfortable position. Unfortunately, her team had only been able to discover the attic as a suitable spy spot during the observation. The current inhabitant of the isolated wooden house had never bothered to climb up the ladder and take a closer look at the dusty place. Thus, in a risky action, the group known as Juice=Juice had infiltrated the building and brought in three people. One of them was the leader herself: Miyazaki Yuka.  
Her other two comrades rested motionlessly beside her. They had divided themselves into guards. Each of them kept scouting for exactly one hour. This was mainly realized by a crack in a wooden board on the floor. So they had an exact view into the obligatory living room of the person.

"Has something happened, Yukanyan?"

The soft whispering voice reached the ear of the young woman. Despite the darkness, she could make out the shadowy outlines of her friend.  
Smiling, the leader replied:

"Not yet. It's the tenth time he's walked up and down."

Then she remarked questioningly:

"But why are you already up, Aarii? You have half an hour left."

The addressed one moved carefully to Yuka. Finally she lay side by side with her leader. The slight glimmer of light that came through the crack was enough to reveal the beautiful, timeless face of the younger one. The dimples at the corners of her mouth were the trademark of the adolescent woman named Uemura Akari. Yuka often envied her for her flawless, pure and so innocent beauty. She put a smile on the face of anyone who saw her.  
Akari answered resignedly:

"I'm getting more and more nervous. If something doesn't happen soon..."

The older one nudged her lovingly in the flank.

"Relax. It won't be long now. If the information °C-ute gave us are correct, the meeting should take place today."

Akari uttered a deep sigh.

"The day has just begun. So it's possible that we'll spend a few more hours up here in this confinement."

Yuka puckred the corners of her mouth up as if she was thinking about something for a moment. Then she nodded and spoke with a grin:

"Yes, it's possible."

Her partner let her head hang down with a silent laugh. Yuka knew exactly how to motivate her comrades. But she also enjoyed teasing them mischievously again and again.  
Suddenly she noticed shadowy movements in the room below them. Quickly, she stretched her head towards the crack to be able to see what was going on.  
A figure wrapped in black clothes was walking, as before, hastily from side to side. It seemed to be plagued by restlessness as well. Then Yuka heard a distant knocking. For a brief moment, the figure was out of sight. Finally it stepped back into the room, together with another masked person. Silently, the two girls watched the events. Voices echoed muffled up to them.

"All preparations were completed. As soon as the order comes, we will strike."

It was definitely a female person, Yuka thought in silence. But because of the fabric in front of her mouth, it was impossible to recognize a clear voice.  
At the same moment, the figure who was occupying the house replied:

"Very good! According to the Darganfod, we definitely have the advantage. Duma is eager to know if our strength is sufficient. And whether you are really loyal to us."

The eyes of the leader widened. To her left Akari twitched. So the same thought plagued her. The voice of the observed figure was deep, threatening and seemed monstrously distorted. A Hunter, no doubt!  
Meanwhile, the female, definitely human, said calmly:

"I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about. When the time comes, we will not hesitate for a second."

For a moment, nobody spoke a word. The Hunter wandered across the room. Apparently, he was thinking about something. The other person wasn't moving. She stood motionless in the middle of the room and watched her supposed ally. Both Akari and Yuka had held their breath to avoid the slightest noise. Their wrists burned in pain, but they ignored that. What happened just below them was the reason for their observation. They had to absorb every single word and handle it properly. The whole mission depended on it.  
After several minutes of silence, the Hunter turned around and spoke coldly:

"In every spare minute I think about the reasons for your actions. But I can't think of any plausible motive why we should trust you, scum."

This was a decisive moment. There was a crackling in the air. Should anyone make a wrong move or say a wrong word, the next thing would be a brutal fight to the death.  
But the stranger did not seem intimidated in the least. The muffled voice possessed a confident emphasis:

"You do not need to philosophize about our decisions. We have our reasons. Most likely you would not understand them at all. The only thing you need to know is that we are behind you a hundred percent."

The Hunter stepped threateningly close to the person.

"I will hope for your sake that this is the truth. You don't want to know what we do to traitors."

The stranger did not answer, but the Hunter seemed to be completely satisfied with the reaction. After a menacing pause he turned around, sat down in the armchair near the fireplace and leaned back relaxed. Thus the piercing red eyes were clearly visible to Yuka and Akari. Then his unpleasantly deep voice sounded again:

"It'll be some time before we finally take the initiative. Until then, the sleepers will stay in their cells. Silently. But deadly. Isn't it?"

The arrival bowed slightly and agreed with the statement. Then the person turned on her heel and walked away. Only the Hunter remained sitting still. For quite a while there was silence.  
Just as the fire in the fireplace was about to die out, the eerie figure straightened up. He stepped out of the sight of the Juice=Juice members at a deliberate pace. Then they heard the squeaking of the entrance door. And at last, peace followed. The Hunter was gone.  
For a few minutes the two young women stayed motionless in their position. When they were sure that their enemy would not return, they decided to leave as well. Yuka asked excitedly into the darkness:

"Karin? Karin, are you awake?"

Immediately a monotone but sweet voice answered her:

"Yes. I overheard it. We should meet up with the others."

Without hesitation, the small figure in the shadows set itself in motion. Suddenly Yuka was dazzled by the glaring light, which was revealed over a large area when Karin opened the attic hatch. The young woman with the shoulder-length hair climbed down the ladder deftly. Akari and Yuka did the same.  
The wooden cabin was a long abandoned place. The massive dust on the furniture, the run-down walls and the musty smell were only some of the facts that led to this conclusion. The leader looked around for a moment to regain her orientation. Three days in the dark, narrow attic had left their marks. She automatically stretched her limbs and was glad to finally be able to stand upright again.  
The larger Akari landed right next to Yuka and moaned contentedly. She whispered:

" Finally! I thought we'd have to spend the rest of our lives up there. I couldn't have stood that, as much as I love you."

Yuka smiled dully.

"Wasn't it a great experience to cuddle with your leader day in, day out?"

The smallest of them, Miyamoto Karin, made them understand that they shouldn't make a sound. She had leaned against the wall at the front door and listened. Then she waved the other two over to her.  
Quietly she pointed to the entrance. Then she formed a walking person with her index and middle finger. Yuka understood. Rapidly she pulled the irritated Akari with her and bent under the windowsill which was right next to Karin.  
Then they held their breath. Steps could be heard from outside. They could perceive the creaking of the wooden planks, which clearly signaled that the person outside had entered the veranda. Had the hunter come back? Had he forgotten anything? Or was it the stranger?  
The three young women waited paitently. Any slightest noise could now reveal them. All of a sudden, the steps stopped. The person was right next to the front door. Only a few centimetres separated the figure from the intruders. The sweat ran down Yuka's forehead. A quick glance at Akari showed her that she had put both hands in front of her mouth. Her wide open eyes spoke volumes. Only Karin seemed focused as always.  
The doorknob moved slowly. A slight click in the mechanism could be heard. Then the wooden door opened in slow motion. Long shadows stretched across the floor. The sunlight flooded the room. Finally the person entered and...

"WAAAH!"

The screeching of a familiar girl's voice echoed through the whole cabin. Karin had started an attack at the right moment, but had stopped just before the clash. The edge of her hand was only millimetres away from the neck of the incoming person, who began to scream in panic. But she was by no means an opponent. It was also a young woman with a pigtail and conspicuous chubby cheeks.  
The competitors stared at each other for a few seconds. Then laughter broke out behind them. A fifth person entered the entrance. Her cat-like eyes sparkled with joy and the curved lips formed a broad grin.

"Well, you gave each other a big scare. Poor Sayuki."

Somewhat surprised Karin, Yuka and Akari looked at the newcomers. At once, the smallest one set her victim free. The girl named Takagi Sayuki, still frightened, held her neck and said disapprovingly:

"What kind of action was that, Karin? I am on your side!"

The person addressed bowed quickly and shouted:

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me!"

Immediately the young woman with the pigtail had to laugh too.

"It's all right."

Yuka, on the other hand, joined up with Akari and spoke in amazement:

"What a coincidence. Why are you here already? We were on our way to see you, too."

The woman with the cat-like eyes, her name was Kanazawa Tomoko, nodded to her leader and then answered calmly:

"We could see from our position in the forest how a strange person had gone to the house. But she came out again after a few minutes. A little later the target followed her. Therefore we assumed that the house was empty now. We didn't know how much you heard, so we wanted to get you out of there."

The leader of Juice=Juice gave an understanding nod. Akari, however, asked confusedly:

"So what are our next steps? We've lost sight of the Hunter, haven't we?"

Yuka took up a thoughtful pose.

"We could try to follow him. But since we don't know exactly which path he has taken or even what his new goal is, it would be a dangerous undertaking for us."

Karin raised her hand and said in an emotionless manner:

"I would like to start the pursuit. If he gets away from us, the Surpremes won't like that. After all, he's our only clue."

The leader looked at her with a frown and then asked:

"What about this stranger? Could you, Sayuki, Tomoko, recognize who that was?"

The two mentioned shook their heads wistfully. Sayuki replied:

"Unfortunately not. I wanted to spy on the person but apparently, that person knew exactly what she was doing. Within seconds, she had shaken me off. Although she hadn't noticed me at all."

Akari opened her mouth in surprise.

"How can this be? Your tracking techniques are not from this world, Sayubee. Although... you didn't notice Karin..."

The tortured one screwed up her eyes in a feigned angrily way and shouted:

" Eh! You can't compare that. Tomoko and I assumed you were the only ones left in the cabin. Who'd expect such a kamikaze attack?"

The group laughed about the situation. Yuka quickly recovered and scratched her head before she said:

"Still, it's really bizarre that the stranger was able to get away so quickly. That would make sense if she had been in immediate danger. After all, vessels only detect such a threat when they are directly aware of it."

Tomoko raised her head and stared into the eyes of her leader.

"Are you saying that this person was possibly human?"

Yuka nodded knowingly.

"Exactly! Either that... or..."

She directed her gaze amusedly smiling at Sayuki.

"... it was really just an amateurish mistake and Sayubee is rusty."

Instantly the troupe burst out laughing again, while the young woman with the chubby cheeks screamed her justifications indignantly.  
When everyone had calmed down again, they stepped out of the forest hut. The sun was now high in the sky and revealed that noon had come.  
Yuka held the palm of her hand to her forehead to avoid being dazzled too much by the light. Motivated, she spoke:

"I think it is the best to return to Haven first. We have a lot to report. Yajima said that we should not overdo it. Hunters are never to be trifled with."

The others, with the exception of Karin, nodded in agreement. Tomoko spoke decisively:

"Besides, at this very moment, the latest audition is taking place at the castle. After the attack a month ago, it would certainly be interesting to know which of our Kenshuusei have progressed because of this terrible experience."

Sayuki clapped her hands enthusiastically.

"Oh yes, I want to see that. Let's go home quickly."

Akari stepped beside Yuka and asked curiously:

" For which group is the audition being held?"

Right away, all eyes were focused on the leader. She noticed the suddenly emerging silence. She knew exactly what was going on in the mind of the others. Juice=Juice was a sworn team. For many years they were able to keep the balance between them. They had never needed reinforcements before. And Yuka knew that this was fine by some of them. Including her.  
Slowly, she walked towards the forest while her team members still expected an answer. Finally, she waved them over and replied cheerfully:

"Juice=Juice still remains five."

Immediately, sheer feelings of happiness chased through the common feeling of the group.


	23. The Mountains

The training hall was empty. Only a single little girl was in the middle and looked around. Yesterday morning the second round of the audition had taken place. In one hour the next audition already followed. It was an impressive assembly of the best Kenshuusei. Kamiko had watched with enthusiasm how the ambitious young girls did everything to make the competition a success. The whole event was definitely a surprise for everyone in the audience.  
The ANGERME member had never expected that this person of all people would become the secret shooting star of the Haven in just a few months.  
Kamiko spent one month under the guidance of Take, Rikako and Murotan to complete a sweaty super training. Nevertheless, it seemed to her today that she was definitely overtaken. ...by a newcomer.  
But although it would have hurt her under normal circumstances, she now felt an inner peace. She knew that this girl was an enrichment for Hello!Project Online. She didn't allow anyone to officially join the Rehab Grades more than this girl. All doors were soon open to her.  
A loud scraping could be heard behind Kamiko. In astonishment she turned around. In front of her stood, stepping from one foot to the other, Kasahara Momona. The very young girl looked at her senior trembling. And then smiled weakly.  
Kamiko tried to return the facial expression, but it felt like a grimace to her. Finally she asked quietly:

"What are you doing here, Kassa?"

The addressed person blushed slightly. Then she asked uncertainly:

"C-Can you teach me how to send out your s-spirit?"

Surprised by this request, Kamiko frowned. Then she suddenly avoided eye contact with the younger one and said dismissively:

"The others have already tried that. It's not possible to learn my ability on your own."

But Kassa took a step towards her and became more courageous.

"P-Please, I would at least like to try, K-Kamiko."

Now the older one became slightly angry. Upset, she replied:

"That would be a waste of time. You can't do it."

Kassa stared at her with wet eyes, but said nothing. Kamiko noticed immediately that she had gone too far. She immediately rowed back with her feelings and said calmly:

"Listen... I really can't teach you anything... I... I'm just not capable of it..."

Tears ran down the red shimmering cheeks of the younger one. Immediately she turned around and rushed out of the training hall.  
Kamiko stared desperately after her. Still, completely alone, standing in the middle of the huge room.

 

 

 

 

The roar of the waterfall was loud and clear. If you tried to speak even one word to each other, any voice volume was completely drowned out. This was a hard experience especially for the small, talkative Musubu Funaki. While the girls carried the empty water buckets to the river, she tried to communicate with the others, as she did every day, shouting.  
Yamaki Risa was always amused by these desperate attempts for attention. She wondered if Funaki would eventually learn that there were moments when one should simply remain silent.  
But in fact, every time she cried something incomprehensible, she received an even more incomprehensible answer back from Yanagawa Nanami. The elf-like girl and the cheerful nature with the overbite were the youngest among the group and possessed an almost endless energy. While one could jump into the air all day long and always provided entertainment, the other possessed such a wonderful charisma that was definitely without match. Especially her wit and charismatic smile never seemed to fade.  
They were followed by Ozeki Mai. The girl, who was quite tall compared to the other Country Girls members, was the same age as the two previous runners, but was clearly of a calmer nature. Even though she sometimes did not know how to hide her naive side.  
Next to Risa ran the shy Morito Chisaki. She seemed extremely slender and introverted. The bucket in her arms took up most of her upper body. But one should never underestimate her. With a little more self-confidence she would most likely even outrank her all-time mentor, Tsugunaga Momoko. At that very moment, the cafe owner probably took a generous sip of tea at the foot of the mountain on which they were standing. The villagers were waiting there longingly for the fully filled water buckets.  
When they reached the bottom of the waterfall, they immediately restocked their supplies. Each of them had exactly two buckets. So it took a few minutes until all of them were full of water. Then they stepped together to the river's side. Since they couldn't talk to each other because of the continuous roaring, Risa lifted her finger attentively into the air. All her comrades looked at her eagerly. Then the girl with the cuddly nose drew a long line across the ground. It should function as a starting point. Again she raised her hand in the air, this time with three fingers stretched out.  
Silently she counted down.

"Three!"

A finger said goodbye. The Country Girls members went into a stooped position.

"Two!"

The middle finger lowered. They all waited anxiously for the decisive signal.

"One!"

When Risa let her hand go down, this was the starting signal for all five girls. They walked along the way back at breakneck speed. Quickly they moved away from the noisy waterfall and entered the small tunnel that was hewn into the mountain. Immediately one could hear the joyfully screeching and squeaking sounds of Funaki. But also the other girls were screaming.  
Even though this was a real competition among them, who arrived first at the foot of the mountain, at the village Mynydroed, they clearly had a lot of fun. The buckets of water under their arms were just swinging around. But it was part of the rules of the game that no water should be spilled.  
They have been playing this game for three weeks now. Momoko sent them up the mountain to the waterfall every early morning and let them collect the crystal clear good for the villagers. While the task was to devote oneself completely to the nature and to consciously experience the awakening of the birds and the plants on the way up, the task on the way back was to imitate a rapid chase and to sharpen orientation, balance, endurance and reaction with inhibited movements, initiated by the heavy water buckets.  
Even though this method sounded like a successful training concept, Risa secretly couldn't escape the impression that Momoko just wanted to torture them again. The older one was happy to do so.  
Still, it was a good feeling to help the villagers out in their difficult situation. Normally, the strong men were responsible for providing the water supply. But they were all injured by a landslide on a mountainside. It was a miracle that none of them suffered permanent damage or even death. When the group heard about this disaster on their trip three weeks ago, they spontaneously decided to support the village. Momoko was firmly convinced that the training here was as good as in any other place. Even if Risa could not quite understand this, she followed the opinion of her leader without reservation. She had never given them any reason to doubt her.  
Nevertheless, Risa hoped to return home soon. She loved to travel with her team members. Nothing filled her with more happiness. But today was the day that a new audition was held in the Haven. Even though Momoko had assured them that Country Girls would never lose their balance under her leadership, and they didn't have to worry about new members, Risa was still interested in the Kenshuusei. She was deeply fascinated that these cute little girls had defied a Scout.

"Riiisa! You're slacking! Hurry up, slowpoke!"

Funaki had shouted this to her laughing while the little girl turned sharply around a corner. The aforementioned grinned challenged. She didn't take this.  
In a blink she pushed herself off the ground and sprinted around the bend as well. She was already on the trail of the hyperactive chaotic girl. However, Risa was closely followed by the joyful Nanami, the ambitious Mai, and the eager Chisaki. It was a real neck-and-neck race. None of them wanted to expose themselves to Momoko later and get a lecture.  
The road led in long lines straight to the village. To the left. To the right. One after the other they rushed past the countless trees at top speed.  
Meanwhile the path went steeply downhill. Funaki whirled up more and more dust with her speed. Yet all of them had still managed not to spill a drop of water. This was almost a miracle, Risa thought.  
Suddenly it was Chisaki of all people who started a daring maneuver. Out of the corner of her eye Risa could barely see how the usually shy girl jumped off the path and took the direct way down the slope instead. This was an extremely dangerous action. Risa heard the horrified shouts of Nanami and Mai while Funaki turned around. Instantly her mouth and eyes opened.  
Chisaki slipped skilfully over the deep foliage. A whirl of golden brown, yellow and orange colours flung through the air. For a brief moment, it even looked as if Chisaki would stumble. Risa held her breath in fright. But the athlete kept perfectly on her feet and performed an impressive salto when she reached the lower road and crossed it at once. Immediately the next slope followed for her. With this shortcut she had gained an enormous advantage and was soon just a small spot in sight.  
Nanami had not hesitated for a moment. She followed Chisaki's tracks and used her cleared path of leaves to make rapid progress as well.  
In panic Funaki held both hands on her cheeks.

"This is unfair, Chii, Yanamin! Wait for me!"

With a brutal right turn Funaki also headed for the slope. She did the same as the two persons in front of her at a crazy speed. Risa didn't know whether she should be amused or worried. Since the chosen path seemed a bit too dangerous to her, she continued to run along the actual route, even if it took her a long time. Mai, who was also undecided, joined her.  
In the end they reached their destination. At the entrance to the village the heavily breathing, risk loving three girls were already waiting together with their leader, Tsugunaga Momoko. She looked for them with a grin, holding a folded fan in her hands.

" There we are, the last ones. Bring the water to the elder quickly, then we'll meet back here."

Risa and Mai did as they were told and handed over the water buckets to the villagers. They thanked them with such a pleasant kindness. They appreciated the service the girls did for them.  
Risa and Mai bowed respectfully before quickly joining the others. They quickly reunited with Nanami, Funaki and Chisaki. To be more precise, they lined up in a row while Momoko, examining them one by one, walked in front of them like a sergeant.  
Finally she spoke majestically:

"You've all set a personal best today. I'm glad."

Happy faces were immediately formed. Momoko winked.

"Yet you didn't arrive at the same time. What happened, Risa?"

The person addressed jerked slightly before answering reverently:

"It was impressive how Chisaki rushed down the mountain. I hadn't expected that."

The other members also nodded to the shy personality, who turned scarlet. Momoko also nodded with huge eyes.

"Yes, yes! That's right! Compliments to you, Chisaki. You were right to finish first. Funaki and Nanami also did a great job following her instinctively."

The two persons in question scratched their heads in embarrassment. Funaki laughed happily and said:

"That wouldn't be necessary, Leader. I'm getting embarrassed..."

Suddenly a shadow appeared on Momoko's face. Funaki didn't notice this while the others' smiles froze. It could only mean one thing...  
A loud clapping could be heard. A second clapping was audible. And a third clapping followed shortly afterwards.  
Chisaki, Funaki and Nanami held their heads in tears. Momoko had given them all a good slap with the fan. Then she replied reproachfully:

"Such risky actions could cost you your lives. Did any of you think about what might have happened?"

Nanami replied distorted with pain, but with her familiar clear voice:

"Chisaki made it look so easy so I thought..."

She was promptly interrupted by her mentor. She raised her index finger as a warning.

"Just because someone manages to get out of a tight spot doesn't mean you can do the same. Caution is the most important element in the fight for survival. Never just act on instinct. You're not animals. You're human. Thinking is in your blood... or at least in your head."

After these words she stepped over to the two remaining team members. At once she grinned again. Risa suspected something bad. The leader began to speak sweetly:

"You both decided to proceed with caution. I am so proud of you for making such an adult decision in such a turbulent situation."

The jingling of the eyes should radiate admiration from Momoko. And Mai was pleased with the compliment. You could tell by her enthusiastic expression. But the corners of Risa's mouth cramped up. She had a hunch that something was about to happen...  
There was another bang. Once. Twice. And already the rest of the team members were holding their heads. The leader raised her voice again reproachfully:

"How can you allow your comrades to carry out such a reckless action? And then you don't even follow them? That is so terrible. Either you go into action together or you die alone. Every decision, no matter how stupid, must be made by the team. And when one individual has a brainwave, comrades must anticipate it. Follow that person. To victory. Or to defeat. No matter. Only together you can achieve something. Never forget that!"

Each one of them rubbed their head. They all agreed with the tiny general grumbling. So almost every day went by like this. They obeyed Momoko's instructions and picked up the scolding at the end of the training. It's been a month now.  
But suddenly Momoko clasped her hands on her hip and grinned nodding.

"I think this was our last day in the village. All the hard-working men have recovered. Now our help is no longer needed, and we can finally go home."

The young girls all looked at her with a beaming face. At last they returned home. A broad grin adorned the face of the oldest.

"I am very proud of you. You've done well."

With these words, they all couldn't help themselves, but tears ran down their faces and they rushed to their leader to take her in their arms together.

"STOOOOP!"

The five younger ones came to a rapid halt. Momoko raised her finger again. Then she stared at each of them urgently. At last she smiled again, lifted her arm in the air and gently tapped each of the five heads with the palm of her hand. The faces of her protégés spoke volumes of confusion. Momoko, on the other hand, laughed, turned around and said:

"You're all too sweaty. Take a bath first. Then you can hug me."


	24. Chance

The earth trembled. At least that's how it felt while being outside the huge hall, which was meanwhile filled with numerous vessels and individual grouping members. Also many Kenshuusei, who had either already dropped out or had decided of their own accord not to participate in the audition, were among the spectators.  
The final participants, who were now entering the third round, stayed in an anteroom to the training hall. Some ran up and down nervously. Others warmed themselves up again. Others leaned against a wall and were completely lost in thought. The tension was clearly noticeable.  
Dambara Ruru sat cross-legged in a corner and had her eyes closed. Kawamura Ayano talked excitedly with Takase Kurumi. Ichioka Reina tapped with her foot excitedly. Yamazaki Yuhane was staring into the air. Especially surprising was the participation of Kiyono Momohime. Despite her young age, she had already left most of her rivals behind.  
A special focus was put on the girls, who, in the course of the Observer judgement, were freshly added to the therapy. Icchan had explained to the 26th generation that auditions were not only used to find suitable candidates for the groupings from the existing Kenshuusei. In most cases, new girls were also brought into the virtual world in the same breath, so that they could be tested for their current skills. Many of them failed already in the first round. However, there were one or two newcomers who were able to prove themselves. In this case these newcomers were called Shimakura Rika, Nakayama Natsume and Matsunaga Riai. It was extremely rare that these completely inexperienced Grade Zero candidates were capable of getting into a group straight away. Kamikokuryo Moe was a quite prominent example of such a gigantic achievement. So did the three newcomers follow the tracks of the ANGERME member?

"Nakayama Natsume!"

The call through the microphone resounded from the hall to the audition participants. The crowd cheered. The face of the newcomer showed an ash-grey tone. She was visibly shaking. You could not blame her.  
Slightly tense, she stepped through the door and entered the huge hall. Then the door closed again and the remaining people could only guess what was going on inside.   
Now and then you could hear the excited commentator's voice of the great Suzuki Keita. He wasn't a teacher but he was the perfect man for exactly such events like an audition. His charm, his funny puns and the pleasant voice carried the audience and let them rave. Although he was hardly to be found in the Haven on a daily basis, the girls, whether group members or Kenshuusei, maintained a good relationship with the comedian. He was also always the first to congratulate someone on their birthday. Even though it could be a bit creepy sometimes, if he waited outside the dormitory doors early in the morning just to give his greetings. But you could never be angry with him.

"Ooooh, that was dangerous, Nakayama! Dangerous! Dangerous! She's turning the corner. What a great girl."

The Kenshuusei had already noticed that the task of the third round was unusually long. Each candidate who was called into the hall needed between five and ten minutes for the task set. This was much longer than in the previous two rounds.  
The first test consisted of using one's own mental strength to knock down eight glasses standing around one at the same time. If only one glass remained on the podium, you had already failed.  
In the second round the physical strength was tested. The girls had to face a tough parcours, which they had to pass within two minutes. Especially the climbing along the ceiling, where thick nets were fixed, demanded a lot from the body in terms of endurance and coordination. Unfortunately this was also the part where most Kenshuusei failed. Even Shiori had to admit defeat in the end.

"Oooooooooh! What a pity! It was not meant to be! Nice try though, Nakayama! Looks like you've gotten some fans here."

The disappointed voice of Keita told the other participants that the rookie had failed the audition. Just like everyone else before her. Right away, they all felt the pressure rising among them. It was normal that the third round caused the most victims. In the end, the final already awaited them. There it was definitely decided whether one or more participants joined a grouping or whether all of them failed. The latter was a failure for the entire academy, but it happened quite a few times when the calculations of the Observer showed that no participant had the necessary knowledge at that time to steer the balance of the groupings in the right direction.  
Exactly to avoid such cases, since it had happened more often lately, Shimizu Saki, the Captain, was hired. She was the leader of the former grouping called Berryz Koubou, which had enormous success at the academy. As the biggest °C-ute competitors they kept the balance in their ranks for many years, so they never had to add new members. Now it was the Captain's job to oversee the selection of new group members and to prepare the Kenshuusei and newcomers to the extent that they were real reinforcements for the groups.  
For this reason, Captain supervised the training sessions of the last weeks. She was always present in the afternoon hours. She sat on the spectator rows and took notes every hour about the well-being of her protégés. Often she also talked to one or the other person as soon as she was worried that they were mentally unwell. All in all it could be said, that Shimizu Saki was a great support for every Kenshuusei.

"Next we welcome Yamazaki Yuhane! A warm applause!"

The girl with the snub nose jumped up and ran into the hall with rattling breath. Little by little the anteroom emptied. Shimakura Rika played with her hair every second. Again and again she laughed nervously.  
Suddenly a taller figure stepped behind her and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. With eyes wide open she whirled around and watched the arriving person. The short hair elegantly framed the young woman's face.

"Take a deep breath! You have done great things so far. No matter what happens next, you should be proud of yourself."

The younger one looked astonished into the calm eyes. Then her mouth opened a little. Finally a broad grin adorned her face.

"Thanks for the pep talk."

Suddenly the roar of Keita came back to them, who commented spectacularly:

"What a ride, Yamazaki! So close! SO CLOSE! How bitter! I'd say you can be really proud of yourself. You've got a bright future ahead of you."

The two girls looked at the door to the training hall, lost in thought. Another one out. After a few seconds of silence Rika turned to her advocate.

"W-What is your name?"

But before the person addressed could reply, it echoed:

"Kaga Kaede! You are next! Great!"

Determined and smiling, the short-haired girl set off. She took a last look back at the younger one and winked at her. Then she had disappeared behind the door. With a stare and open mouth, Shimakura Rika repeated the name:

"Kaga... Kaede..."

 

 

 

 

One side of the anteroom led to the training hall. On the other side there was also a door, but it was open. There a long corridor led to the castle grounds.  
It was a quieter place, which dampened the quake and the screams. Here Kasahara Momona sat on the cold floor, leaning limply against the stone wall, watching the Kenshuusei from a distance. She remembered the time when she herself still belonged to Grade Zero. Right now, she wished she was part of it again.  
Kassa knew that her team members were watching the perhaps tension-filled exam in the training hall with all the other spectators. She would have loved to join them, but then she would have had to deal with Kamiko again.  
She did not know what she was doing wrong. She did her best to get closer to her mentor, but Kamiko kept rejecting her. What could she do about it? All Kassa wanted was to be accepted by her reference person. Instead, she felt like a monster that should be pushed away.  
Desperate and with tears in her eyes again she let her head fall into her crossed arms. The sobbing was almost drowned out by the distant cries of the crowd.  
Then Kassa heard a noise. A tapping and groping in the corridor. Someone came down the corridor. The sad girl quickly wiped the wetness from her face and glanced in the direction of the tapping sounds. Eventually, the figure of a small, slim girl with shoulder-length, dark brown hair and curved lips emerged.  
Kassa opened her eyes. The presence of the arrival was incredible. The radiant smile had such a miraculous effect on her. She had never experienced such a positive aura in her life.

"You look depressed. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Kassa was completely perplexed. For some reason, with the appearance of this girl, all grief disappeared. It was as if it had never existed.

"N-no, it's okay. It i-is nothing..."

But instead of moving on, the strange girl surprisingly sat down right next to Kassa. The girl with the beautiful lips also pulled her knees up, crossed her arms around it and looked up at the black ceiling with her head. She continued to smile.

"You don't seem to feel well, otherwise you wouldn't have settled down here in such an uncomfortable corridor, would you?"

Still grinning broadly, the strange girl looked at her. Kassa didn't know what to think. She was used to the direct way of Murotan, Kana and Take. But the present situation took on a completely different dimension.

"I... I don't know..."

The person nudged her lovingly into the side and said:

"Tell me about it. Maybe I can help you."

For some reason Kassa felt very moved. She didn't know exactly what it was, but somehow the odd stranger made her feel like she could actually trust her. Finally the thirteen-year-old spoke with resignation:

"I feel so out of place. My mentor is not interested in me. My group doesn't need me. I don't even know why I'm here. Or who I even am. I feel alone... and useless..."

For a brief moment there was silence. Finally, the stranger gave her another enchanting, so innocent smile.

"I don't think your friends will consider you to be useless. Nor do I think you are useless. Everyone has his place in the world. And everyone can contribute something to this world. You don't exist for nothing. Everything has a purpose."

Kassa frowned.

"And what's the purpose for me?"

The stranger thought. She typed with her index finger against her lower lip. Then she answered with a squint in her eye:

"I don't know."

Kassa almost gave the stranger a knock on the head because of disappointment.

"You do not know? I was beginning to believe you."

Then the small person laughed.

"You see! You wanted to believe me."

Then she stared at Kassa with sparkling eyes.

"Now all you have to do is stop wanting something and just do it instead."

Completely stunned the ANGERME member looked at her counterpart:

"W-What?"

The funny girl bounced her head from left to right before she replied:

"You may be afraid to tell your mentor what you think. And maybe you are suppressing your true feelings towards your friends. Maybe you are just trying to do everybody a favor. But that is not always the solution. Restraint is never wrong. But you still have to enjoy life. To the fullest. So don't ever restrict your mind. Because your thoughts and your ideas are the most important resources in this life."

The smile of the stranger had turned into a narrow line, but still the eyes were sparkling with bliss. Kassa was completely surprised by these words. She should say whatever she thought? Not to hold back? Not to bend for others?  
Then a question came into her head, which she immediately asked:

"But what if I could hurt someone with my words and actions?"

Then the smaller one slowly straightened up, cleaned the dirt off her trousers and started grinning again.

"Friends know how to deal with that. At worst, you have to admit your mistakes and apologize. But that's still better than nobody knowing what you're really thinking, isn't it?"

Kassa got up too. She was a few centimetres taller than the stranger, although the stranger clearly seemed a little older. The ANGERME member asked admiringly:

"What is your name?"

The person scratched the back of her head in embarrassment and said laughing:

"Yokoyama Reina!"

Kassa suddenly stared at her in shock. THAT was this Kenshuusei girl who had been causing all the commotion in the last months. In the ANGERME household she was mentioned when and then. She had also been a leading role in the fight against the Scouts in front of the castle. Yokoyama Reina.  
However, nobody had ever told Kassa that this wonder girl had such a special aura. Or had she only recently acquired it?  
Suddenly they heard the distant calls of Keita:

"Yes, this is really amazing! Our beloved and well-known Kaga Kaede has actually made it! So we have our first finalist! Unbelievable! Spectacular! Awesome!

Reina listened to these words. Then she gave Kassa a last smile and spoke cheerfully:

"It was obvious that Kaedi would get it. That means it's my turn right now. I have to catch up to my rival. I would be honored if you cheer for me in the hall.

With a cute movement she formed the V-sign. Then she walked down the corridor towards the anteroom.  
Kassa stayed there for one last moment. Then she quickly sprinted down another corridor towards the stands.


	25. Go on and on!

Most of the participants of the third audition round had already failed. So far only Kaede had made it to the final. Shimakura Rika had been able to carry the crowd, but ultimately had to throw in the towel. Nevertheless she seemed to be a promising newcomer. Her never crumbling smile, no matter how hard the task was, no matter what bad news was told to her, hadn't faded for a second.  
Reina liked this charisma. The younger girl had something special for her. The thought of always remaining optimistic seemed so far away from the fact that they were fighting for survival every day. But this naive newcomer named Rika was completely immune to grief and despair.

"We have a very last candidate for you! Round three is about to begin the final phase!"

Keita's excited voice entered the anteroom. The whipping and roaring of the crowd was unmistakable. Reina looked around. No one was here anymore. She was really the last one.  
Although she expected to be overwhelmed by nervousness, nothing happened. Her body was calm. No tremors. No anxiety. She was brimming with confidence. The girl couldn't help but be surprised by herself.  
Slowly she walked to the door leading to the gym. At any moment her name would be called out. She was ready for the audition.  
Only a few months ago she had no idea about this world. Hello!Project Online had been a mystery to her. Each new discovery was like exploring a dreamland. The fascination of the incredible. The meeting of new acquaintances and friends. The fear of failure. The collapse and suffering of hell. Finally, a fulfilled life in a reality where people grew day by day.  
Reina looked at her clenched fist. It had been a hard month. For two weeks she trained with Kaedi, uninterruptedly every single day. They had challenged each other the most. The practice lessons of Mrs. Mitsubachi were followed by own practice units which the two Kenshuusei had thought up themselves. Most of the time they carried out their sweaty practices until late at night. Getting up the next morning had been an absolute horror every time and it was not seldom that Ayano needed to yell in Reina's ear to wake her up.  
A smile crept onto the face of the fifteen-year-old while remembering these moments. Then, little by little, she realized again what it meant if she would win the audition. An unpleasant wetness formed in her eyes.  
Instantly Reina warned herself not to start crying. She had had to deny this conflict several times in the last two weeks. The thought of no longer fooling around with her generation members in the future made her feel sad. But she also knew that it could not remain forever as it was now. Each of them had a responsibility to move forward. They all had to progress. That was the ultimate goal.  
For this reason Reina had asked Shimizu Saki for a two-week release from Kenshuusei lessons. The Captain had stared at her with some surprise, but the young girl wanted to experience the feeling how it was to be on her own. The Captain felt this line of thought to be admirable and so she pulled out all the stops to grant Reina's request. Even though neither Mrs. Goto nor Mrs. Mitsubachi were happy with it, they finally succumbed.  
And Reina had used the free time to the utmost. After a short detour in the town near the castle, she had set out for a village called Taw.  
This village was known for living in humility and modesty, renouncing everything worldly. Reina was fascinated by such a way of life, so she asked the villagers to accept her for ten days. It had been the perfect place to become aware of the loneliness that had gradually spread within her, due to the possible separation with her friends, and to learn to deal with it.  
Determined, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Now there was no more hesitation. New challenges awaited her. The weakness when she faced Murotan... the weakness when she collapsed in front of Goto Maki... the weakness when she failed entirely against the Scouts... All that was left behind her now. She wanted to turn all these memories into a new personal strength. A strength she could proudly present to the world.  
Reina took a deep breath in and out. Then she heard it. Her name.

"Yokoyama Reina! It's your time to shine!"

Without a doubt, she opened the door of the anteroom and took a brave step into the passage to the training hall. Immediately, bright light shone onto her face, and she instinctively narrowed her eyes to slits.  
The cheering of the crowd was suddenly at a deafening noise level. This mass of vessels clearly served to bring the mood to the boiling point.  
But while Reina stepped into the hall and looked around joyfully, she also recognized many familiar faces. Her Kenshuusei comrades, Kamiko and the members of ANGERME, the teachers and Tsunku. All of a sudden she widened her eyes. At the top, on the second level, where Murotan had once watched them before she decided to attack the newcomers, stood the members of Morning Musume, smiling encouragingly.  
The fast pounding of her heart signaled to Reina that she couldn't shake off all of the excitement she was supposed to feel.  
When she finally arrived at the center of the field, she took a closer look at her surroundings. Only now she noticed that there were no objects near her. The field seemed to be blank.  
Tsunku rose. Instantly it became quieter in the hall. Then the headmaster spoke with a serious face:

"Hello, Reina! You made it this far. That is already a great achievement. You can be proud of yourself. But now you're being challenged once again."

His gaze was turned upwards. The eyes of the young girl followed him. Then she opened her mouth, slightly astonished. On the edge of the ceiling were countless timber poles, which systematically floated over the entire field.  
Tsunku took the floor to explain:

"At the start of this contest, the poles will begin to fall down one by one. Your task is to touch them before they hit the ground. You have to successfully perform such a touch fifty times. When the counter reaches that number, you have passed."

He pointed to a digital display to his right. There was currently a double zero in sight. Then he lifted his finger again as a warning:

"You should be careful. With every pole that you or the floor touch, the speed at which the poles fall from the ceiling increases. Ten times you may allow yourself a slip. The eleventh floor hit takes you out of the audition. You got that, Reina?"

The person addressed nodded with a smile and said determinedly:

"Yes!"

At last he winked at her and replied with a chuckle:

"HOW you touch the poles is completely up to you. Remember that you can't always master everything with physical strength alone. Balance your inner and outer self."

Then Tsunku clapped his hands and Suzuki Keita shouted excitedly:

"Let the audition begin!"

Reina quickly took an alarming position. Some spectators wished her luck. For a long moment nothing happened. Then the first pole broke away from the ceiling and fell towards the floor.  
It was not far from the young girl. She took a few steps to the side and performed a well-aimed karate chop. The pole split right in its middle and disappeared instantly.  
The crowd cheered happily. There was no reason to be so upset, Reina thought to herself. But most likely the crowd was celebrating every single hit. The blithe spirit thought that was good because it motivated her.  
Right away, the next block of wood started its journey towards earth. This time Reina had to make a little sprint to the corner of the hall to reach her goal.  
At the same time another pole came loose. The Kenshuusei made a sharp turn and jumped in a high arch to the other side of the area. An impressive 'Oh' resounded through the crowd. But there was no rest for Reina.  
Now the show really started. Two piles had made their way down almost at the same moment. Luckily they were close together, which enabled the fifteen-year-old to score a goal with both her hands and her feet simultaneously.  
The spectator ranks yelled out. In rhythmic methodology, several poles were fired from the ceiling. Now it became exciting. Did Reina's weeks of training finally pay off?  
As quickly as possible she raced to one of the corners of the field, whirled around her own axis as a preventive measure, caught the first pole and was able to run into the middle of the room at lightning speed, only to split another block as she passed by. Due to the speed she was able to catch the next pole on the opposite side with ease. But panic spread among the masses. Two other stakes were in a straight nosedive towards the ground. And Reina was not even close to touching them.  
But suddenly a real gust of wind came up. The girl had pushed herself with all her strength from the ground below her and was now dashing recklessly and with spectacular speed across the hall. The crash of the first pole was loud and clear. But far more impressive was the performance that followed. Even while trying to stop her brutal speed, she directed her palm towards the second pole. A tremendous amount of invisible, spiritual energy was sent out. And already the block deflagrated just before it reached the ground.

"THAT'S INCREDIBLE! UNBELIEVABLE! GIGANTICASM! WHAT ARE THESE GREAT THINGS THE LITTLE LADY IS DOING? INSANE!!"

Keita was out of control. The audience supported him in his praises. None of them had expected such control between mind and body.  
But for Reina, it wasn't over yet. She was already moving to the next falling objects. This time the poles were shooting towards the earth at an unprecedented speed. In a wide zig-zag pattern, the Kenshuusei sprinted and jumped across the field like crazy. Quick turn, right. Rapid spin, left. Backflip. Every movement was executed with caution.  
How many stakes has she reached so far? Fifteen? Twenty? Reina didn't have time to think about it. The test required her attention straightaway. The tempo of the objects increased abruptly. In addition, the amount of falling poles did not decrease either. Soon it had to look like wood coming down from the ceiling in sheets.  
But the young Kenshuusei did very well. Her maneuvers looked absurd, but it was crowned with success. The audience roared like in frenzy. And Keita couldn't pull himself together either:

"We're seeing great things, ladies and gentlemen! Witness how a Kenshuusei newcomer became the secret star of this audition. Not a single failure so far!"

Reina only perceived the spectators as a whirl of different colours. The furious pace she was setting demanded all concentration from her.  
A pole in front of her was shattered as she spun around in the air. A break behind her sounded as she turned south. Already while she was tracking down the pure presence of one of the innumerable objects and finally applying a physical or mental blow to it, she was mentally already two or three steps ahead and set her sights on the next targets.  
In her head she counted with great effort. How many hits had she scored? Twenty five? Thirty? She could hardly estimate it.  
Reina widened her eyes in surprise. A bombardment of stakes was sent to the hall floor at brutal speed. But the four timbers that had loosened simultaneously at all four corners of the area were the worst part of it.

"Guys, the decisive phase is coming! Everything is still up in the air for little Yokoyama! Literally! She can fail gloriously... or be the first and only one to pass the audition without a point of failure! 33 stakes are now on their way almost all at once. Only seconds separate the poles. Oh! Except for those four cute little fellows up there. I think they've made some awkward arrangements!"

Of course, Keita had to refer to the corner stakes at that very moment as they made Reina's flash planning a hell. But it didn't help if she just stopped. So she crouched down for a moment to gain momentum and pushed herself strongly off the ground.  
Immediately she had far exceeded her top speed of the previous run. All her nerves and muscles were tense to the breaking point. Her body was burning with exertion. All her training flowed into these minutes of decision.  
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.  
Reina sidestepped one after the other, smashing pile after pile every second. Under surprised cries of the spectators she jumped up to an absurd height to intercept the first of the threatening objects already at a medium distance.  
Immediately she whirled around her own axis in the air and focused her view on the next targets. A perfect, straight-line route to the next corner of the hall was revealed to her.  
As soon as she hit the ground, she wanted to start a mega sprint again at top speed. But...

"OUCH! FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!! WHAT HAPPENED?"

A terrible crackling had echoed through the entire hall. The audience couldn't keep it on their seats because of fear. They all looked shocked at Reina, who was desperately trying to get up.  
Blind pain chased from her foot through her entire body. She had lost control of her movements and had fallen even as she was spinning in the air.  
As if in slow motion, she saw a handful of stakes racing towards the ground. Straining, she bit her lower lip. That should not have been it yet. This misfortune meant nothing. She never wanted to fail again.  
The sudden scream of the young girl and the jerkily unleashed power that surrounded her glowingly shook the audience utterly. They stared spellbound at the spectacle that awaited them.  
The small Kenshuusei was moving at such an impressive pace that she once again completely erased everything that had been there before in the audition.  
Reina was in the mental tunnel. She sent her spirit and destroyed three stakes at the same time. The girl jumped into the air again, eliminated an object in the northwest corner, formed an independent energy field sideways from her, and pushed herself off it gracefully to get another corner pillar as quickly as possible.  
The interaction of mental and physical strength went far beyond the knowledge of a Kenshuusei. And although her body was plagued by sheer exhaustion, Reina did not give up. She wanted to keep going. Go on and on!  
Finally only three single stakes remained. The girl had passed the exam, but there was more to come. She was aware of this at exactly this second when she ran into the center of the action and lifted her injured leg.  
Just before the three objects could even touch the ground, Reina performed a swift sweep kick in a perfect 360-degree circle, which flowed over the reach of the leg and ignited a veritable ball lightning.  
A breakthrough silence followed. The stakes were deflagrated. No object was to be seen on the ceiling. The audience seemed speechless. Even Keita couldn't help but gasp for breath.  
Perplexed, Reina straightened up and shifted her weight to her healthy foot. She looked around in the hall with a slight frown. Then she put one hand on her head and grinned over both ears while she said cheerfully:

"Not a single one of them touched the floor!"

Suddenly, as if someone had turned up the volume of a stereo system, the audience went crazy. Cheers came from all sides. Praise pelted down on the little girl in the middle of the hall. She recognized Kamiko and Murotan who were jumping up and down enthusiastically together with their comrades from ANGERME. A bit further away, Reina even looked at the girl she had met in the corridor. An impressed shimmering appeared on her face. Reina also saw the eccentric clapping of the Morning Musume members, who waved admiringly at the young grouping candidate. Keita screamed at the top of his voice:

" INSANE! SUPER! GENIOUS! WHAT A SHOW! IF THIS ARTIST DOESN'T GET INTO A GROUP, I WANT TO EAT A HAT! OH YES!"

Reina's cheeks turned bright red, but she had to laugh. Pure happiness stretched from her head to the tips of her toes. She didn't know what her eyes should catch first. There were so many people who wished her the best. It was an unbelievable experience.  
While she was still being applauded and celebrated by the crowd, she discovered her Kenshuusei comrades at the main entrance of the hall. They all waved at her joyfully. Without another thought she ran, limping slightly, towards her friends.  
Ayano at once took her in her arms and whirled with her in circles.

"You're great, Reina! You're the coolest."

But immediately a huge cluster formed around the two of them. Countless hands grabbed the fifteen-year-old. One pat on the shoulder after the next followed. Shiori, who was simply too small to reach Reina, screamed happily to her:

"Congratulations, Reina! The finale is yours!"

Rin, Marie and Yuhane embraced her with such warmth. The young girl felt how all her generation members had been cheered along. Icchan, Kurumi, Momohime, Ruru, Kokoro and all the others also wanted to share their joy about Reina's success.  
In all the confusion, the little heroine recognized a person who stood a little aside and looked at her. It was Kaedi. Their eyes met for a short moment and time stopped. Reina waved laughing. Her eyes sparkled. The short-haired one with the otherwise so serious face grinned as well. She held one thumb up. Both understood each other for good.


	26. The Judgement

"Oh nooooo! We missed everything. It's because we left so late, Momochi."

The bright voice of Yanagawa Nanami sounded disappointed at the grating above the stands. Country Girls had just arrived, but had missed the third round of the audition that had just ended.  
Then the stern voice of the leader of the grouping was heard:

"Well, if you want to get here earlier next time, you're gonna have to move faster. It's as simple as that."

The general moaning of her protégés was clearly audible. Kamiko, who was still on the stands where the spectators had slowly calmed down, looked over her shoulder. There she saw all six arrivals bending over the railing.  
The ANGERME leader Wada Ayaka now also looked up. Then she spoke joyfully:

"Momoko, you are back? I'm glad you made it home safely."

But the leader of Country Girls could not answer this. Instead, it was Aikawa Maho who suddenly called out:

"Yamakki! You look adorable as always. I could be jealous."

The person addressed scratched her head and laughed.

"Thanks, Aiai! I'll gladly return the compliment. Let's go to a café tomorrow. and we can talk in peace."

Maho replied delighted:

"That sounds marvelous. I really must show you my latest collection of Ultraman action figures. It'll be fun, I tell you."

Although it was clearly written on Risa's face that she didn't really want to talk about such topics, she nodded happily. Momoko grumbled and pointed out that Risa was not allowed to visit any other café.  
Suddenly another voice sounded behind the ANGERME members. It came directly from the spectator entrance.

"Oh, you are all here, too. I hope we haven't missed too much?"

It was Miyazaki Yuka who, together with her four group members, sat down behind the chaos troupe. Immediately, Murotan turned around enthusiastically and screamed:

"Aarii! Finally! I thought you'd died or something."

Uemura Akari could not resist a grin and waved her hand in front of her face.

"No! Never, Murotan! But I'm surprised they let you run around free after all."

Instantly they all had to laugh. Then Ayaka raised to speak again and addressed Yuka:

"I'm afraid you missed a really exciting selection. Two are advancing to the finale. Kaga Kaede..."

Full of joy, Kanazawa Tomoko jumped up and clasped her hands together.

"Great! I'm so proud of Kaedi!"

Murotan crossed her arms and nodded her head.

"It's about time she got her butt in gear."

The ANGERME-leader gave the two of them a nod with a smile. Eventually she continued her sentence:

"And then Yokoyama Reina succeeded too."

A frown formed on the faces of the Juice=Juice members. But even the young girls of Country Girls seemed confused. None of them knew this person. Momoko, on the other hand, emitted an enthusiastic whistle.

"Woo-hoo, this little thing seems to become real. If you're not careful, she'll pass you all in no time. Mark my words!"

With a mischievous grin, the café owner looked from one to the other in a challenging way. But it was another person who stepped forward and gave an answer:

"You're right, Momochi. This Yokoyama has real potential. But there were still some major blunders in her current movements. She is only just beginning to discover her powers."

Acting pouty, the addressed person stared at the newcomers. It was none other than the grouping called °C-ute. They were led by Yajima Maimi, who had spoken to the leader of Country Girls. But then it was the highly respected Suzuki Airi who spoke with an admirable but thoughtful expression:

"She was quite impressive. A Kenshuusei, who has only been learning at the academy for four months and is capable of such great manoeuvres, definitely needs to be encouraged. Her advanced knowledge of clarity is also amazing."

For Kamiko, it was always fascinating to see how quickly the words tumbled out of Airi's mouth. One always got the strange feeling, as if she was afraid to be interrupted. That's why her diminutive comrade elbowed her teasingly in the side. It was Okai Chisato who responded with her confident voice:

"Now don't praise the little one too much. She has to prove herself first."

Her partner with the round, well-formed lips named Nakajima Saki agreed with her:

"Exactly! We can't ignore Kaga either. She has been with us for so many years now. Something must have finally pushed her to take the plunge."

Tomoko nodded enthusiastically. Then the squeaking voice of Hagiwara Mai, the youngest from °C-ute, sounded:

"Let's watch this in patience. We don't even know yet if the Observer will accept them."

At this message all grouping members gave a unanimous nod. The fourth and last test followed: The analysis by the Observer! This should take place in a few minutes.  
All of a sudden Kamiko heard atmospheric laughter near the railings over her. A large group of people joined Country Girls. It was Morning Musume. Apparently they had also heard the last words of the conversation, because Fukumura Mizuki, the leader of the most famous group, said softly:

"I have faith in these two Kenshuusei. What they presented today was really stunning. They're going to be a great addition to the Haven."

Sato Masaki tapped the leader on the back with laughter.

"Our Fukuhime only wants sweet little Yokoyan all to herself, right?"

The condemned woman protested, but it did not help. Her comrades laughingly agreed with the statement. Makino Maria winked at Tomoko, who returned the gesture. Then she leaned over the bars with both arms and said bluntly:

"Maria is so happy that Kaedi has finally made it. Now only Icchan is missing."

Sasaki Rikako asked confusedly:

"Which group do you think they'll join?"

The respective leaders grinned broadly at each other. Sayuki whispered to the girl with the shoulder-length hair behind her hand:

"So it's not us, Yuka had said."

Funaki Musubu shouted out loud:

"Neither are we. Unless Momochi lied to us again."

Immediately the cheeky girl got a headbutt from her mentor who couldn't believe what she heard.  
Kamiko closed her eyes and smiled. She had been sure for a long time which troop Yokoyama Reina would join if she made it to the top of the Kenshuusei. Today it was already the moment.  
Ayaka clapped her hands full of expectation and spoke excitedly:

"Now don't spoil the surprise. That's always the most exciting thing about an audition, isn't it?"

The other Haven residents had to agree with her. Suddenly, Yuka listened.

"Speaking of exciting! Are Kobushi Factory and Tsubaki Factory already back from their mission? I heard rumors earlier. They've been on the castle's borderlands for a long time now, don't you think?"

Maimi smiled and replied:

"What a coincidence that you ask. They arrived this morning and are currently resting in their rooms. Actually Hirose and Yamagishi wanted to join us. But I think we better let them sleep. They've deserved it."

Kamiko listened intently. Until now, she didn't know much about the long absence of the two youngest groups in the Haven. Six months ago, they were probably sent on a mission together. The young ANGERME member had only got to know that it was a scouting mission, similar to the one they had been on over three months ago. But all other information had been kept secret. So it was all the more interesting to find out what the leaders of the other groups had to say.  
In fact, it was Ayaka who spoke seriously:

"Were they able to uncover anything about this 'Shadow Covenant'?"

Shadow Covenant? Uncover? Kamiko's facial expression had to reflect a single question mark. But none of the leaders paid attention to her or the other unsuspecting members. Instead, Fukumura answered thoughtfully:

"Both Hirose and Yamagishi were summoned to the leaders one by one immediately upon their arrival. They must have been completely exhausted, but Tsunku said that they were successful. The council was very pleased with them."

Yuka looked amazed at the Morning Musume member.

"That's incredible. I never expected this."

Again Maimi gave her a smile.

"They have done great things on their first own mission. But now we should all remain calm. How valuable the information really is will soon become clear."

The leaders nodded in agreement. All other listeners turned their heads in confusion. What was this conversation about? And why did it have to take place under such strange secrecy? Kamiko was sure that Murotan and Take would bombard their leader with questions for several hours once they were back in the Lounge. And at the same time, Kamiko was also convinced that Ayaka would keep complete silence. If the ANGERME leader was supposed to keep a secret, she would do so as long as no one was harmed. Now the girl with the dark cat eyes was not completely sure how harmful the withheld information actually was.  
But she could not think any further about this matter. Rikako tapped her excitedly on the sleeve and let her know that something was happening downstairs, in the center of the hall.  
Immediately, the chaos of the many conversations in the spectator stands fell silent and a tense humming began. The limping Yokoyama Reina entered the training hall again, together with her Kenshuusei comrade Kaga Kaede, who heroically supported her. The two formed such an unequal pair. But it was exactly because of this realization that Kamiko glanced sideways to Kasahara Momona, who was sitting a bit apart and talking excitedly with Nakanishi Kana without turning her eyes away from Reina. Kamiko wonder what she had to tell?  
Finally, the loud voice of Keita echoed through the room once more:

"It's about time, dear people! We come to the final round of our fantastic audition. It was an arduous way to get here. And these two great girls, Kaga Kaede, Yokoyama Reina, have definitely made it. What an achievement!"

When the commentator mentioned the names, great cheers broke out both times. When Keita paused for a short break and beamed at them, the clapping of the audience echoed like a torrential downpour through the hall. Then the cheerful man continued:

"Now you've come to the end of a journey. But if the last action of this chapter should also bring you success, it is by no means 'goodbye'. No! The Observer will inform you straight away what kind of future you will have in Haven. And then a new, much greater journey begins, on whose path you will grow. Never be discouraged, as you are today. You are chosen! You are special! You are Kenshuusei of this academy! And soon you may even be members of a grouping of this wonderful project called Hello! Project Online!"

A drum roll started. The fateful words of Keita were accompanied by the roar of the crowd.  
In the end, it became quiet again. The light in the hall was dimmed. Reina and Kaede trembled. You could almost feel their excitement. There was a crackling in the air. The judgement was imminent.  
Tsunku joined them. In his hand he held a small object. It was a silver key with narrow white wings at the tip. With this he turned around so that his back was to the finalists. Then he lifted the tiny object up and acted as if he was unlocking an invisible lock.  
And miraculously, something happened. The air in front of the headmaster distorted and a black fissure appeared right in front of him. This gap in the dimension widened quickly and at last a golden eye with a green pupil could be seen.   
The two Kenshuusei must have felt a certain fear. At least Kamiko realized that they had retreated a few steps back. Tsunku, however, made no effort to repair the fissure that had appeared. On the contrary! He raised both arms in the air as if he wanted to pray to the strange eye. For a very long moment the eye looked around in reality. One could not read what emotion it was supposed to reflect.  
But suddenly it spotted Reina and Kaede and the pupil narrowed abruptly as if it focused its gaze on the two people.  
Every single viewer had held his or her breath. They watched this surreal moment with excitement.  
…  
…  
…  
Without warning a lovely, soft voice sounded like out of nowhere:

"Kaga Kaede. Morning Musume."

Without delay, the ground shaking cheers broke out for the umpteenth time, which had caused the training hall to tremble so often on this day. All spectators celebrated the Kenshuusei who had been smiled at for years. So long Kaede had to be patient. Day after day. month after month. She trained obsessively over such an eternal period. And in the end, it paid off. Tears flowed relentlessly down the cheeks of this otherwise sturdy personality. She cried and roared so heartbreakingly. She would have loved to put her arms in front of her face and get down on her knees. But then she would have let poor Reina fall, which she wanted to prevent more than anything else.  
Nevertheless, the sheer joy and relief could be seen in the face of the old-established Kenshuusei. Makino Maria shouted unconditional congratulations to her and probably would have loved to jump over the parapet to embrace her old and at the same time new comrade.  
The clapping of the spectator rows continued for a long time. Only when Tsunku lifted his arms and gave the sign to slowly calm down again, it became silent once more and the tension gradually returned. Only the restrained sobbing of Kaede could be heard.  
The eye again fixed the two Kenshuusei. Kamiko became aware that it was probably now completely focused on the second person.  
Then the ANGERME member smiled contentedly into herself and leaned back. Since more than a year Kamiko was in the Haven. She had experienced many ups and downs. A failed mission was followed by a successful one. One great acquaintance chased the next one. She had found wonderful friends. And in addition there was a group for her to which she could fully confide in.  
In the beginning it was very difficult for her not to know anything about herself or her past. Again and again she had found herself desperately trying to recover memories that were not there. In the end she had to realize that she would probably never get old thoughts back.  
But after she had met this girl... no... got to know her, she realized that it wasn't about which memories you had lost. It was about filling the emptiness that was in you when you entered this world with new stuff.   
Her eyes wandered to Rikako. With positive experiences.  
She looked at Murotan. With funny moments.  
She looked at Kassa for a brief moment. With difficult decisions.  
Then she devoted her attention to the center of the action again, while she thought: Yes! This girl had shown her how to not only survive this world. She had also shown her, Kamiko, how to enjoy this world. It wasn't just a competition between patients. It was much more than that. And Kamiko was curious to see what other entertaining adventures she would have with this strange being with the sweet, innocent grin. She was really looking forward to it.  
…  
…  
…  
The hall was immersed in absolute silence. They all stared at the centre with eyes wide open. Everyone awaited the judgement.  
…  
…  
…  
And then it happened. The voice that spoke with such supernatural purity, soft and imperious at the same time, sounded again for the very last decision:

"Yokoyama Reina."

…  
…  
…

"Morning Musume."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of the 1st arc: "My name is Yokoyama Reina"


End file.
